scholarly journals Primary Health Care by Vhembe women in the Limpopo province of South Africa: Knowledge and Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-101
Author(s):  
Kyei KA ◽  
Spio K .
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Childhood Mortality ◽  
Sample Survey ◽  
Oral Rehydration ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Women And Children

Child mortality has increased in South Africa since 1990, despite a national policy of free primary healthcare for pregnant women and children under the age of five years. A significant number of women and children die during childbirth and 40% of stillbirths happen during labour. Lack of sufficient knowledge about primary health care (PHC) is costing South Africa greatly because many of the deaths of mothers, babies and young children could be avoided. Teenagers conceal pregnancy and that adds to higher risk of death among themselves and their unborn babies. Almost a half of all new-born babies die during the first 24 hours of birth, and 75% die in their first week of life. This study looks at primary health care by women in Vhembe by identifying knowledge and skills they possess to deal with health care issues. A 3-stage sample survey was conducted covering all the municipalities in the district. About 2660 women aged between 13 and 50 years were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Applying various statistical methods including logistic and regression modelling, this study shows that majority of the respondents know about PHC and that age and education of women are important factors affecting child’s health and survival in the Vhembe district. If Limpopo wants to reduce childhood mortality, this study recommends that efforts be made to educate women, especially teenagers about primary health care, immunization, oral rehydration therapy and attendance at clinics for pre-natal medical check-ups during pregnancy.

scholarly journals Experiences of Professional Nurses Regarding the Implementation of a Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution Program at Primary Health Care Facilities in South Africa.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 477-483
Author(s):  
Livhuwani Muthelo ◽  
Tshinanne Nemagumoni ◽  
Tebogo Maria Mothiba ◽  
Arthur Thabo Phukubje ◽  
Linneth Nkateko Mabila
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Professional Nurses

Background: The Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) program is a new program initiated by the Department of Health, South Africa to provide an alternative chronic medicine access program to public sector patients. The program is designed to improve access to required medicine, especially to patients who are on chronic medicines while assisting with the decongestion of public clinics. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the experiences of professional nurses regarding the implementation of the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution program. Methods: A qualitative descriptive, phenomenological and exploratory design research was conducted to determine the experiences of professional nurses regarding the implementation of the central chronic medicine dispensing and distribution program. Purposive sampling was used to select 15 professional nurses who participated in the study. Data were collected through a semi-structured one-on-one interview method, using a scheduled interview guide. The study was conducted in three Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, where professional nurses dispensed medicine to patients through the CCMDD programme. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method. Lincoln and Guba's four strategies were applied to ensure trustworthiness. Results: The findings of this study reveals that proffessional nurses in Vhembe experienced challenges with the implementation of the CCMDD program; such as late delivery of medication, lack of parcel tracking, patients receiving collection notification messages late, incorrect medication being issued to the patients, lack of pick up points in rural areas, and lack of patients’ data availability in the clinic facilities. Conclusion: South Africa is in the process of developing and implementing universal health care for all (National Health Insurance). The effective implementation of the CCMDD program should ensure equal access for all patients to their medication, in both rural and urban areas.

scholarly journals Problem-Orientated Antenatal Notekeeping: A Useful Primary Health Care Tool

Curationis ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.V. Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Antenatal Screening ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Risk Patients

It has recently been demonstrated that about 56 percent of patients delivering in a rural obstetric unit had significant risk factors, and that 85 percent of these could have been detected by meticulous antenatal screening before the onset of labour. These figures show that the average rural obstetric unit in South Africa is dealing with a large percentage of high risk patients. In this work, it is hampered by: 1. Communications problems: i.e. bad roads, long distances. and unpredictable telephones. 2. A serious shortage of medical staff resulting in primary obstetric care being delivered by midwives with minimal medical supervision.

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