This photo was taken on a farm where I help run an equine livery. On this farm there are many farm workers who suffer from mental and physical illnesses and disorders/disabilities, namely schizophrenia, alcoholism and farm accidents that are not properly taken care of. The reason I mention these issues and the place they occur as well as why I thought it relevant to this assignment is the lack of service and immediate care that the South African health system provides poor and underprivileged workers such as these.
It is the farmer himself who helps them take their medicine and helps provide services for them whilst they are unable to, the public hospital dealing with them is overrun with disease and lack of staff while patients continue to multiply. This is the reality of some of the many problems we face.
The symbolism in the photo is the dark landscape, which embodies the confusion and lack of organisation, the slow creeping corruption for personal gain and the overwhelming darkness that is the future of the health system in South Africa. More symbolism is the dark gold light that is slowly being consumed by the dark, this represents the few ‘shining lights’ in the health system, the people who care and try to take action, the researchers and scientists with new discoveries to try and improve the health system, the volunteer medical teams, the hard-working nurses and doctors/medical professional who work for so little and do so much to try and improve quality of life for so many. This ‘light’ is dying as the aforementioned ‘darkness’ of corruption and mismanagement is overtaking and polluting the efforts of many.
The Gospel Truth
It is a widely known fact that our Health System is in a literal state of chaos and an irreversible state of disrepair. Poor treatment protocol and deviation, lack of skills in professionals, theft, lack of supplies and general patient neglect is on the continual rise (Dhai A 2018). Patients are being left on hospital floors to await treatment while lack of staffing results in less treatment and more fatalities. Superbugs and infection rates in hospitals are so prevalent that open surgery such as Caesarian Sections are long thought out and seriously considered only as a last effort. Mothers and newborns are sent home before normal stay duration is complete to avoid secondary infections. Hospitals are overcrowded and underfunded and HIV/AIDS and multi drug resistant TB are more and more common due to lack of education and cross contamination/reuse of medical equipment within health care facilities (Timeslive 2018). Many articles and researchers claim that it will take a massive effort to fix the current health system as it is, and it will most likely take many years.
The questions is; Will South Africa ever improve the Health Care System? Our country is overrun with politically driven schemes and the people of the country are the ones who suffer most because of it. Corruption runs the decision making and not moral or ethically justice. We as the future health care professionals are the only hope at taking a stand and changing it, for better or worse.
References:
Healthcare in crisis: A shameful disrespect of our Constitution . Dhai A 2018
Medical deans call on government to urgently address health crisis. Timeslive 2018. Taken from: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-06-02-medical-deans-call-on-government-to-urgently-address-health-crisis/
One thought on “Cry, the beloved Country (Final)”
Thanks for your assignment on how the public health system in South Africa are failing their citizen. The picture alone doesn’t explain much, but you justify it nicely in your text. Your description of the photograph is on point and I can see the symbolism. I think it reflects an important issue and is a common issue all over the world (more or less).
I’ve been to Cape Town and South Africa myself and got a whole other experience than what you describe in this text. My impression of Cape Town was that it was a modern city with good infrastructure, a good school system and an including public health system. Although I never had a run-in with the public health system. Your country seems so modern in so many was so I guess I just assumed that your public health system would be better.
I like that you use concrete examples from your own life. It makes the text more lively and understandable.
Your grammar is on point. You’re writing is also good and understandable to read. The impression Im left with after reading this text is that its a massive gap between the public health system in Norway and in South Africa. Our system includes all people from every social class. It seems that you have to be wealthy to get the treatment you deserve in South Africa and that’s a shame.
It was really interesting to read something that is so different that what I’m used to in Norway. Thank you!