REFLECTION:
As I reflect on my picture, I realize that in a country such as South Africa with a rapidly growing population, the need to strengthen its health care system should be a top priority due to inadequate human resources such as clean water, vaccinations, and sanitation. The lack of these resources creates a breeding ground for infectious and communicable diseases in which the country turns to the health care system for relief. Our health care system is failing due to poor health access, poverty creating a barrier to access good health services, legislations such as rape survivors who have to wait hours for a police report before commencing to a hospital, poor working conditions for health personnel, long waiting times at health care facilities which are just some amongst many other reasons. The picture I chose that I believe represents the South African Health Care System is a dim lamp surrounded by darkness. The darkness represents South Africa and its patients- due to all the negative stigma, prevailing diseases such as HIV and Tuberculosis, high mortality rates etc. The lamp represents the Health Care System as it is the light that guides the way during health-related situations- the function of a lamp is to provide light while minimizing the risk of anything around it catching fire however this lamp is dim and will soon no longer provide light. In the same way, the health care system has the function of providing adequate health care services and preventing health pandemics, but how can it fulfil its task when it is poor/dim and if not corrected it will soon fail just as the lamp will soon no longer provide light. Once we correct the errors in our health care system, we will brighten our country creating more positivity and visibility on other aspects of our health system such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
ACADEMIC EVIDENCE:
According to SANGONeT(2009), A report found that poverty is a major cause for ill-health and is also a key barrier to accessing health care services. The report is based on visits to approximately 100 facilities across the country and submissions from the public. It found that medical and health personnel have poor or discriminatory attitudes towards vulnerable groups and this leads to poor access to health for them.
Studies done by The South African Medical Journal displayed that in 2005, infant mortality rates ranged from 18/1 000 live births among white people to 74/1 000 among black people, which was much the same as rates in the early 1990s. The figures differed across geographical regions, e.g. 27/1 000 in the Western Cape and 70/1 000 in the Eastern Cape.3 Overall maternal mortality increased from 150/100 000 pregnancies in 1998 to 650/100 000 in 2007.4 South Africa comprises almost 17% of the world’s population living with HIV/AIDS. The country has the largest antiretroviral treatment programme in the world, yet only 40% of eligible adults are receiving treatment. The prevalence of HIV infection among those older than 19 years ranges from 16.1% in the Western Cape to 38.7% in KwaZulu-Natal.5 These disparities and burdens of disease are the tip of an iceberg of dysfunction and malaise within our healthcare system and nation, and are not conducive to sustainable development or maintaining a stable democracy. S Benatar (2013) 000000
REFERENCES:
Benatar, S. (2013). The challenges of health disparities in South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/6622/4918
Mayosi, B., & Benatar, S. (2014). Health and Health Care in South Africa — 20 Years after Mandela | NEJM. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr1405012
SA Healthcare System Failing. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.ngopulse.org/article/sa-healthcare-system-failing
