Bibliography

Theme area
Equitable health services, Human resources for health
Author
Tevera, DS; Chimhowu, A
Title of publication Intra-provincial inequalities in the provision of health care in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe
Date of publication
1991
Publication type
Journal Article
Publication details
Geographical Journal of Zimbabwe 22 pp 12pp.
Publication status
Published
Language
English
Keywords
Health care, inequality, Zimbabwe, population/doctor ratios
Abstract
The paper assesses the magnitude of spatial inequalities in opportunity levels for access to health facilities and personnel in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. Districts with large urban centres were found to have more favourable population doctor ratios than the rural, more peripheral districts because of the doctors preference for the large urban areas. There is a gradual deterioration in health services with increasing distance from urban areas. Lack of doctors in some districts implies that patients have to travel long distances to urban centres where doctors are available. Although doctors periodically visit the health institutions in communal areas, the irregularity of their visits coupled with the long lists of priority patients for attention make it more difficult for the less serious cases to be seen by doctors. Few hospital beds have led to situations whereby people who under normal circumstances, would need closer medical attention and rest in a hospital bed, have to commute as out-patients or to travel long distances to the nearest hospital for admission. This results in long recovery periods, loss of time and money and congestion. The perpetuation of such inequalities suggests that attempts to achieve an equitable spread of health services have had limited success. Given constraining factors of expenditure and brought, to minimising the rural-urban gap may require a radical social reform package that includes preferential treatment of some of these remote districts with poor living conditions.
Country
Zimbabwe
Publisher
Geographical Journal of Zimbabwe