Rural Health Issues: The Challenge of Home-based Care

Abstract

I first met Rosina Sindane in May 1999. Her next door neighbour, Mrs. Masina came to ask for help at the local clinic in Maboloka, a dusty village in North West Province,where I was working as a visiting doctor. Her husband had died of AIDS 3 months before. She was now alone at home with her three children aged 11 ,9 and 6. Mrs. Masina had heard she was ill and had been caring for her as best she could. Rosina was now so ill however, that Mrs. Masina was worried that she was not doing enough for her. I visited her in her small cement brick house with one of the local TB DOTS supporters,Thabo Maseko. Rural Hospital Focus - Debating Points Initially I will look at the 3 major 2 problems encountered in almost every rural hospital I have worked in or visited, here in South Africa or elsewhere in the world (including South America, Canada, China, Malaysia and Australia) viz. staffing, accommodation and transport.