Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leratong Hospital, Krugersdorp, South Africa.
Afr J Reprod Health. 2023 May;27(5s):87-95. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2023/v27i5s.11.
In low- and middle-income countries, urban and rural settings are distinct communities with the latter being more likely to have limited resources, particularly in health care services. We assessed the inequality in health care services in urban and rural settings in South Africa, highlighting the disparities between public and private health services, given that the latter are located mainly in urban settings. Rural settings suffer the highest inequality in the availability of drugs and supplies, overcrowding of health care facilities, delays in transporting patients, inadequate emergency medical services, and lack of experienced health care professionals. Rural settings also preferentially have a shortage of various levels of health care services, and increased security threats by criminals. In addition to specific remedies, the overarching key to solving these challenges is socio-economic growth, as well as visionary and compassionate leadership with integrity and accountability, which ensures policy development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
在中低收入国家，城市和农村地区是截然不同的社区，后者可能拥有有限的资源，特别是在医疗保健服务方面。我们评估了南非城乡地区医疗服务的不平等现象，重点强调了公共和私人医疗服务之间的差异，因为后者主要位于城市地区。在药品和供应的可及性、医疗设施过度拥挤、患者转运延迟、紧急医疗服务不足以及缺乏经验丰富的医疗保健专业人员方面，农村地区的不平等程度最高。农村地区还优先面临各种医疗服务短缺以及犯罪分子带来的安全威胁增加等问题。除了具体的补救措施外，解决这些挑战的关键是社会经济增长，以及具有远见和同情心的、廉洁和负责任的领导层，这确保了政策的制定、实施、监测和评估。
