scholarly journals Pandemic, Primary Health Workers and work trajectories: A Memoing Representational Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Rajasekharan Nayar ◽  
Ujjwala Gupta ◽  
Bindhya Vijayan ◽  
Sunitha S B ◽  
Kapila VS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Tier System ◽  
Health Centres

More than 65 per cent of the population in India lives in rural areas with the highest overall burden of disease. The Indian rural health care system is composed of the three-tier system comprising Sub-Centres, Primary Health Centres, and Community Health Centres with a considerable shortfall in health facilities at different levels - 18 per cent at Sub centre level, 22 per cent at PHC level and 30 per cent at CHC level. The real facts and figures of the epidemic in rural areas are not known yet except for broad distribution patterns. The course of events with respect to preventive strategies to control COVID-19 especially the experiences in states like Kerala which has comparatively well-developed health infrastructure are important as a lesson for managing future emergencies. In the present study, the responses and experiences of the frontline health workers including ASHA workers toward the pandemic are documented. We followed a Memoing approach largely similar to in-depth interviews- based on conversations with primary level health workers including ASHA workers and Junior Health Staff. The conversations which lasted for about one hour and in some cases more were presented by the respondents as experiential representations and memoranda on which reflective notes were prepared by the authors who conversed with the staff. The conversations mainly echoed the complaints, concerns and criticisms of the staff regarding the program and the severe limitations that they faced in COVID control. Based on the narratives as well as representations, we could identify interlinked dominant and minor specific-context related issues which are important for equity-based universal health coverage. Firstly, training of primary health workers in Primary Emergency Health care is important in order to counter unpleasant human interactions and also for maintaining security. The training is also important to counter misinformation which is hampering positive health actions. Secondly, it is important to reinvigorate the medical loop and preventive protocols in health programs to strengthen the health service system at the grassroots level especially enhance the trust between the workers and the people. COVID 19 pandemic is an opportunity to recognize and reinforce the role of primary care workers and formulate gender-sensitive and effective control strategies.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of classic lecture and workshop as interventions to improve primary health care providers knowledge and skill on the management of pediatric emergencies: a case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Ricky Indra Alfaray ◽  
Rahmat Sayyid Zharfan ◽  
Yudhistira Pradnyan Kloping ◽  
Yudith Annisa Ayu Rezkitha ◽  
Rafiqy Sa’adiy Faizun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test

Abstract A preliminary study showed that most health workers in primary health care (PHC) claimed that they need a refreshing course because of their lack of updated knowledge and skill. This study enrolled 27 primary healthcare workers recruited from the PHC. The intervention used were classic lectures and workshops. The knowledge was evaluated using a paper-based test and practice, while the skill was evaluated using a practice test. Multiple questions (pre-test and post-test) based on current emergency management for pediatric were used for paper-based evaluation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to confirm the subject's perspective on the intervention. A paired t-test was used for evaluating the pre- and post-test results, which was confirmed by a triangulation approach. There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-test results (p<0.001), and 8 of 10 subjects can demonstrate the procedure learned correctly after the intervention. A total of 14 interviewed subjects stated great effectiveness of the intervention, with several limitations on applicability in daily clinical practice. Classic lecture and workshop as an intervention in health education effectively increase health workers' knowledge and skill in PHC. This study might help other rural areas PHC apply the same method so the professionalism and quality of health workers in PHC providers can be maintained.Keywords                : primary health care, classic lecture; workshop; knowledge; skillCorrespondence     : [email protected]

scholarly journals A Legislative Agenda for Reducing Existing Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Care in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 55-62
Author(s):  
Rifkatu Nghargbu ◽  
Chukwuemeka Onyimadu ◽  
Ezechinyere Ibe
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Health

A key indicator of the SDG goal of attaining Universal Health Coverage is the access to quality essential health care services, access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. Although The Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted the SDGs, data from UNICEF’s Multiple Cluster survey 2016 – 2017 indicates a severe disparity in health care service coverage among poor women and children who reside in rural areas. To this end, this communication advocates that the National Assembly ensures that 15% - 20% of health expenditure goes to Primary Health Care. Also, the amendment of the NHIS Act to include community based insurance schemes and employ its powers of scrutiny and oversight functions in order to reduce the dearth in Primary Health care facilities in rural areas.

scholarly journals Problems in the Organization of Primary Health Care for the Rural Population at the Current Stage

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-154
Author(s):  
E. Bekeshova
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Care System

In the article, the author conducted an analytical review of the state of primary health care in rural areas at the present stage. In modern socio–economic conditions, health care for the rural population is characterized by limited access to medical care, as well as low efficiency, both medical and social and preventive measures. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the 60.0% of the population are rural, so the organization of medical care for this category of the population is essential for the health–care system of the Republic. Both the Almaty Declaration (1978) and the Astana Declaration of 2018 reaffirm the desire to strengthen primary health care to achieve universal health coverage with key areas: making bold policy decisions to improve people’s health in all areas; Sustainable primary health care; Empowering individuals and the public; Building stakeholder support with national policies, strategies and plans. The development of family medicine allows unloading the health care system and strengthening the prevention of diseases. The PHC approach is fundamental to achieving the overall global goals of universal health coverage and health-related sustainable development goals. The poor state of health of rural residents requires the development of more effective medical care mechanisms aimed at improving the financial, material and human resources of health care. The literary review showed that the optimization of the health care system, especially in rural areas, needs to begin with a primary level of health care to improve the accessibility and quality of health care, while optimizing financial, logistical and human resources.

Continuing Education Experiences of District Level Health Staff in Nigeria

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-403
Author(s):  
Philip C. Onuoha ◽  
William R. Brieger
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Rural Districts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Service Training

Primary health care (PHC) implementation has stimulated the need and interest in developing continuing education (CE) programs in Nigeria. A population study of 144 government (69%) and private (31%) health workers in the Ibarapa District of Oyo State in Nigeria documented their CE opportunities. Only 39 percent had attended an in-service training (IST) program in the past five years. Fewer (32%) had received a supervisory visit within the previous month, and most of these visits contained little of educational relevance according to respondents. Slightly over half (54%) reported attending a staff meeting in the previous month, but 72 percent had attended at least one in the past six months. Like supervisory visits, these meetings were not primarily educational in nature. Only 58 percent engaged in self-study through reading in the past six months, but quality reading materials were scarce, forcing health workers to rely on old texts and popular health magazines. Local government staff and workers with formal health training were most likely to have taken advantage of an IST. Trained workers and males were more likely to have engaged in self-study. New PHC management structures have the potential filling CE gaps and redressing imbalances in CE opportunities in this and other rural districts throughout the country.

scholarly journals Perspectives of health workers regarding primary health care delivery to the rural population in the Bothaville district*

Curationis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Janse van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care Delivery ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Primary Health

This article reports on the views of public health workers regarding recent changes in the delivery of primary health care to people living and working in the Bothaville rural area. These changes in mobile health care form part of the Initiative for Sub-District Support’s programme to provide sustained, concerted support to sub-districts to bring about improvements in health care management and health care delivery. Main shortcomings of the recent changes were identified as inadequate transportation facilities in rural areas, insufficient information dissemination to rural dwellers and lack of farmers’ participation in rural health matters. Furthermore, poor communication and co-operation between different public health services prevailed and the need for an integration of these services was emphasised.

scholarly journals The capacity of primary health care facilities in Saudi Arabia: infrastructure, services, drug availability, and human resources

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Quds Al Saffer ◽  
Taghred Al-Ghaith ◽  
Ahlam Alshehri ◽  
Rimah Al-Mohammed ◽  
Shahad Al Homidi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Drug Availability ◽  
Primary Health

Abstract Background Primary healthcare (PHC) is an essential component of an effective healthcare system. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) health reforms prioritize tackling the increasing noncommunicable disease burden by prioritizing PHC, centering it as the core of the newly proposed Model of Care. To identify challenges and opportunities to scale up PHC capacity, understanding the current capacity of primary health care centers (PHCC) is critical. A limited number of publications review PHC capacity in KSA, focusing on specific regions/sectors; this paper is a first to examine PHC capacity on a national level. Methods The study uses a countrywide Facility Survey that collected data in 2018 from 2319 PHCCs, generating information on their characteristics, number of health workers, services provided, and capacity elements captured through the Service Availability and Drug Availability constructed indices. Descriptive analysis was performed by rural-urban classification. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions were used to understand correlates to health workers and equipment availability. Finally, a logistic regression was fitted for selected services. Regressions controlled for various measures to determine correlates with facilities’ capacity. Results On a national level, there are 0.74 PHCCs per 10,000 population in KSA. There are variations in the distribution of PHCCs across regions and within regions across rural and urban areas. PHCCs in urban areas have more examination rooms but lower examination room densities. Offering 24 × 7 services in PHCCs is infrequent and dependency on paper-based medical recording remains common. More urban regions are more likely to offer general services but less likely to offer burn management and emergency services. PHCCs are mostly staffed with general medicine, family medicine, and obstetrics & gynecology physicians, whose numbers are more concentrated in urban areas; however, their densities are higher in rural areas. Finally, psychiatrists and nutritionists are rare to find in PHCCs. Conclusions Decision-makers need to consider several factors when designing PHC policies. For instance, PHC accreditation needs to be prioritized given its positive correlation with service provision and health workers availability. PHC 24 × 7 operation also needs considerations in rural areas due to the high dependency on PHCCs. Finally, there is a substantial need for improvements in e-health.

scholarly journals A Teledermatology Pilot Programme for the Management of Skin Diseases in Primary Health Care Centres: Experiences from a Resource-Limited Country (Mali, West Africa)

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ousmane Faye ◽  
Cheick Bagayoko ◽  
Adama Dicko ◽  
Lamissa Cissé ◽  
Siritio Berthé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Pilot Programme ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Health Centres

In sub-Saharan Africa, in particular in rural areas, patients have limited access to doctors with specialist skills in skin diseases. To address this issue, a teledermatology pilot programme focused on primary health centres was set up in Mali. This study was aimed at investigating the feasibility of this programme and its impact on the management of skin diseases. The programme was based on the store-and-forward model. Health care providers from 10 primary centres were trained to manage common skin diseases, to capture images of skin lesions, and to use an e-platform to post all cases beyond their expertise for dermatologists in order to obtain diagnosis and treatment recommendations. After training, the cases of 180 patients were posted by trained health workers on the platform. Ninety-six per cent of these patients were properly managed via the responses given by dermatologists. The mean time to receive the expert’s response was 32 h (range: 13 min to 20 days). Analysis of all diseases diagnosed via the platform revealed a wide range of skin disorders. Our initiative hugely improved the management of all skin diseases in the targeted health centres. In developing countries, Internet accessibility and connection quality represent the main challenges when conducting teledermatology programmes.

Island Health: Hope and Challenges for Public Health

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Binns ◽  
Tomiko Hokama ◽  
Wah Yun Low
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Reasonable Expectation ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Special Responsibility

The Asia-Pacific region is a region of small islands, perhaps 100 000 of them. The health, communication, and development problems of islands present difficult challenges for the delivery of health care. The discussions at the Okinawa Symposium centred on how health can be provided to all in the region, not only those in metropolitan areas, but also the poor in rural areas and those on living on far-flung island archipelagos. It is important to apply principles of “public health” and “primary health care” so that all island residents may have a reasonable expectation of health care. Schools of public health have a special responsibility to educate those who are responsible for the delivery and management of health care in these remote locations. The development of telehealth systems will be important to support health workers in remote locations and to deliver continuing education programs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document