QUESTION TWO [25] Despite a number of commendable goals having been set by government for improved quality of service de

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Question Two 25 Despite A Number Of Commendable Goals Having Been Set By Government For Improved Quality Of Service De 1 (180.63 KiB) Viewed 34 times

QUESTION TWO [25] Despite a number of commendable goals having been set by government for improved quality of service delivery in healthcare settings, reports by media and communities revealed that services in public health institutions were nonetheless failing to meet basic standards of care and patient expectations (National Department of Health 2012:4). This has caused the public to lose trust in the healthcare system (Zubane 2011:1). Koelble and Siddle (2014:1118) describe the healthcare system in South Africa as ruined and in serious need of repair. Many of problems in the South African healthcare system can be traced back to the apartheid period (1948–1993) in which the healthcare system was highly fragmented, with discriminatory effect, between four different racial groups (black, mixed race, Indian and white) (Baker 2010:79). To worsen the situation, the apartheid government developed 10 Bantustans (the so-called ethnic homelands) into which Africans were unwillingly segregated, and each of which had their own departments of health with their professional bodies (Baker 2010:80). This led to deterioration in health system delivery because of lack of resources, and poor communities were especially affected (Chassin & Loeb 2013:462). Huge efforts have been made to improve the quality of healthcare delivery in South Africa since 1994 elections, but several issues have been raised by the public regarding public institutions. Among the many, the following seven issues are discussed in this article: prolonged waiting time because of shortage of human resources, adverse events, poor hygiene and poor infection control measures, increased litigation because of avoidable errors, shortage of resources in medicine and equipment and poor record-keeping. (Source: Maphumulo, W.T. & Bhengu, B.R., 2019, 'Challenges of quality improvement in the healthcare of South Africa post-apartheid: A critical review', Curationis 42(1), a 1901). Question: The above case description, states "Many of problems in the South African healthcare system can be traced back to the apartheid period (1948–1993) in which the healthcare system was highly fragmented, with discriminatory effect, between four different racial groups (black, mixed race, Indian and white)". With reference to this statement, critically analyse how the apartheid system would have contributed to poor health outcomes of people.