Implementation of the principles of primary health care in a rural area of South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Implementation of the principles of primary health care in a rural area of South Africa La mise en oeuvre des principes de soins de santé primaires dans une zone rurale d’Afrique du Sud
 
Creator Visagie, Surona Schneider, Marguerite
 
Subject Rural health; primary health care Primary health care; rural; South Africa — —
Description Background: The philosophy of primary healthcare forms the basis of South Africa’s health policy and provides guidance for healthcare service delivery in South Africa. Healthcare service provision in South Africa has shown improvement in the past five years. However, it is uncertain as to whether the changes have reached rural areas and if primary healthcare is implemented successfully in these areas.Objectives: The aim of this article is to explore the extent to which the principles of primary healthcare are implemented in a remote, rural setting in South Africa.Method: A descriptive, qualitative design was implemented. Data were collected through interviews and case studies with 36 purposively-sampled participants, then analysed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Results: Findings indicated challenges with regard to client-centred care, provision of health promotion and rehabilitation, the way care was organised, the role of the doctor, healthworker attitudes, referral services and the management of complex conditions.Conclusion: The principles of primary healthcare were not implemented successfully. The community was not involved in healthcare management, nor were users involved in their personal health management. The initiation of a community-health forum is recommended. Service providers, users and the community should identify and address the determinants of ill health in the community. Other recommendations include the training of service managers in the logistical management of ensuring a constant supply of drugs, using a Kombi-type vehicle to provide user transport for routine visits to secondary- and tertiary healthcareservices and increasing the doctors’ hours. Contexte: La philosophie de soins de santé primaires (SSP) sont a la base de la politique de santé de l’Afrique du Sud. Meme si la prestation des services de santé a montré une amelioration, il ya des doutes que la SSP est mis en oeuvre avec succès dans les zones rurales d’Afrique du Sud.Objectifs: Cet article étudie a quelle mesure les principes de SSP sont mises en oeuvre dans un cadre rurale d’Afrique du Sud.Méthode: L’étude emploi une méthodologie qualitatif et descriptive. Les données ont été recueillies par des entrevues et études de cas avec 36 participants. La méthode d’analyse utilise la phénoménologie interprétative.Résultats: Les résultats indiquent des défis dans la promotion de la santé, de la réadaptation individuel, organisation des soins, le rôle du médecin, les attitudes des travailleurs de la santé, des services de renvoi a d’autre niveau du service de santé et la gestion des conditions complexes.Conclusion: Les principes de SSP n’ont pas été mis en oeuvre avec succès. La communauté n’a pas été impliqué dans la gestion des services, ni les utilisateurs impliqués dans la gestion de leur santé personnelle. L’initiation d’un forum sur la santé dans la communauté est recommandé. Les fournisseurs de services, les utilisateurs et la communauté doivent identifieret agir sur les déterminants de la mauvaise santé. D’autres recommandations portent sur la formation des gestionnaires, amélioration des services de transport et une augmentation des heures to service par les medecins.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor European Commission Framework Programme 7 —
Date 2014-02-18
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Qualitative research —
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.562
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 6, No 1 (2014); 10 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/562/822 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/562/823 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/562/824 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/562/821
 
Coverage Namakwa region 2010 - 2012 All ages; both genders; South Africans — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2014 Surona Visagie, Marguerite Schneider https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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