Patient-centred Care - South African Rural General Practice

Abstract

This section presents a problem orientated approach in the context of rural practice. The context is the store at Pungulelwani in the Northern Transkei. It is a remote rural GP or government clinic treating low income or poverty stricken patients. The roads to the clinic are difficult to travel on and may require a four wheel drive at times. There are no facilities for investigations, no X-ray facilities etc. The constraints of poverty and unemployment dictate that medicines that are dispensed are generic or cost effective and may be based on the essential drug list (see Resource Section).