By Amy-Jade Van der Vent (3863560)- FINAL
Mosaic work is a unique piece of art that is created from assembling small pieces of colourful glass, stone or other materials. This is a perfect representation of the South African health system, as not all the pieces of the artwork are identical. This illustrates that every health care facility is different and that they are each presented with their own challenges.
Mosaic is a kaleidoscope of colour which signifies how South Africa, as a whole is such a diverse nation with people from many different religious, cultural and racial backgrounds. This art shows how each unique piece stands out and how we embrace our diverse nation. The health system is striving to achieve unified healthcare, according to the South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) by making it more affordable and accessible for the population (Young, 2016). The variation of colour within the artwork also signifies the different skill sets that each professional has, which when working together would ultimately provide better care for patients. When looking at the art, we know that it would look strange if it only consisted of one piece but with all the pieces put together, it is indeed a master work of art. The same applies to each health service provided for the patients, as treatment is not just one dimensional. The goal of all professionals is to provide the best possible care, thus treatment should be holistic in this regard, with incorporating multiple health professional disciplines. This is not always put into practise, as the number of health professionals in each facility are generally limited, the patient numbers are over ruled and consultation times are often crammed. This combination of factors that has been noted by many patients, especially those in the public sector, deems to stunt the holistic quality of care provided. The reality of socio-economic differences in South Africa is extremely evident, as private healthcare is reserved for those who can afford it and public healthcare is for the vast majority of citizens, who cannot (Patel, 2017). The different pieces of the mosaic also signifies that each piece cannot stand alone, just as we need the entire South African government to make a difference within the health system.
Mosaic commonly provides the disabled people with the platform to compile this amazing work and thus serves as a wonderful way to integrate them into the community, by having their artwork displayed publicly. It shows how our health system embraces people with disabilities, which formulates part of the Equity Act. Comprehensive care is provided under one roof and it operates as nurse driven facilities, especially in the public system, with skills trained in ‘nursing art’. In our country, the private and public health systems coexist in a ‘parallel’ manner, although there is a major gap between the two. The public sector provides for the vast majority of the population, as they are government funded, even though it is immensely underfunded and understaffed, it still provides the public with the basic health care that they need. There are many disadvantages of the public health sector such as: rushed appointments, long waiting times, dilapidated facilities, and poor disease control and prevention practices (Patel, 2017). This makes the private health sector seem like the better alternative due to its many perks, which is everything that the public sector does not provide, as mentioned above.
People deem to focus their attention on all the negative aspects of our South African health system and how dysfunctional it might seem, which is represented by the shattered pieces of tiles and glass used to compile the mosaic art. Despite all of this, this country is still able to render essential care (taking into account the limited funds) and leave patients feeling satisfied, as they will be in a better condition than when they would first enter the doors of the facility, which is of utmost importance.
Reference list:
Patel, A. (2017). A World of Difference Between Private And Public Healthcare in South Africa. The Daily Vox. Retrieved May 2, 2019, from https://www.thedailyvox.co.za/a-world-of-difference-between-private-and-public-healthcare-in-south-africa/
Young, M. (2016). Pricate Vs. Public Healthcare in South Africa. Honors Theses. Paper 2741. Retrieved May 2, 2019, from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3752&context=honors_theses
