Revolutionizing Health Care: Challenges and Solutions in the System

PRIMARY CARE IN THE PRIMARY CARE IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Dr Dr Waleed Waleed Arif Arif Tawfeeq 23 23- -2 2- -2025 Tawfeeq 2025

2 PROBLEMS WITH THE HEALTH CARE SERVICES Urban oriented Curative in nature Accessible to small part of people

COMMON SHORT-COMINGS OF HEALTH CARE DELIVERY: 1- Inverse care 2- Fragmented care 3- Unsafe care 4 Misdirected care 5-Lack of social protection, unaffordable care

Today, people worldwide are dissatisfied with existing health systems. One of the greatest worries is about the cost of health care. This is a realistic concern since 100 million people fall into poverty each year paying for health care. Millions more are unable to access any health care

Excessive specialization in rich countries Single disease focused programes in poor countries Most of resources are spent on curative services Neglecting prevention &health promotion Growing challenges of aging population

4/4/2025 6:59 PM 6 Pandemic of chronic disease New emerging disease such as SARS. Swine Flue Impact of climate changes

Primary Health Care PHC originally meant the first care given to a patient in need. In this sense every traditional medicine man gives PHC and so does every doctor working in general practice in Europe and elsewhere. Until the 1950s and beyond, and even now in some places, PHC was understood in this sense. It was an extension of basic medical curative services into rural or under-doctored areas. To extend some curative services into under-privileged areas where there were few doctors or hospitals, various types of auxiliary health worker were trained and placed in dispensaries or treatment centers.

Many types of workers were trained e.g. dispensaries, dressers; these workers usually had a few years of primary schooling before a period of training. They were provided with a few simple drugs in their outposts and treated patients who came to see them. At the same time, a more elaborate training of secondary school leavers created another class of auxiliary health workers, usually called medical assistants or clinical assistants

These auxiliaries were originally trained to work strictly under the supervision of doctors in hospitals, outpatients, and urban clinics. Later, in the 1960s when the health center idea became popular, these health workers were seen as teamleader and placed in charge of health centers. At this period some preventive functions were added to their mainly curative work

During this period of PHC, there was the idea of substitution or second best. The ideal was seen as treatment by a doctor or in a hospital, but where this ideal was unobtainable, the common conditions could be treated by an auxiliary

4/4/2025 6:59 PM 11 In the new concept of PHC the auxiliary is the key person. He dose not substitute and there is no substitute for him.

4/4/2025 6:59 PM 12 It is now recognized that medical care is different from health care. In the medical care model Help after illness In the health care model Prevent disease and health promotion Example for medical care; Dispenser + Cases of hook worms Example for health care; TB in Europe (A good clean environment brings health to people)

Death rate (per million) 4000 3500 1880 TB bacillus identified 3000 2500 2000 1947 Chemotherapy 1500 1953 BCG 1000 500 0 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980

4/4/2025 6:59 PM 14 We are not only dealing with curing the disease but we want to prevent it and keep the people healthy; as providing promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services accordingly. This is because of the following aspects;

Immunization: 4/4/2025 6:59 PM 15 With vaccination certain diseases can be prevented as TB, (cost of full course of treatment is about 150 $ during the six months, and patient is tired, ill, and can not go to job so he will have decreased productive ability, and there is a chance of infecting other family and job contacts, while the vaccination can prevent this and the cost is about $ only)

Infectious diseases 4/4/2025 6:59 PM 16 There are certain diseases in the community like infectious diseases that have the ability to spread from person to person so we can prevent this spread Agent

4/4/2025 6:59 PM Universality 17 Certain disease can be controlled in one area or country but must be controlled in the whole world (malaria that is transmitted by anopheles mosquito which has no geographical boundaries to fly from one region to another or from one country to another

4/4/2025 6:59 PM Universality 18 By the action of WHO, small pox was successfully eradicated from the world at the end of 1978, by mass vaccination. And by global international commitment by all countries in the world. Now WHO attempts to eradicate polio & measles, also

4/4/2025 6:59 PM Nutrition 19 Certain diseases in which the nutrition have a role prevented by good diet provided, change of habit, socio- economic state

4/4/2025 6:59 PM 20 Certain diseases related to environmental pollution and hazards, and these can be prevented as those have an effect on ozone layer, toxic materials, poison, radiation...

4/4/2025 6:59 PM Habits 21 Certain habits like smoking, alcoholism that have a bad effect on human himself that can stopped by certain measures such as change habits, life style, or health education to prevent the diseases that arise from them (lung cancer, CVA, ischemic heart disease, etc...)

4/4/2025 6:59 PM Social 22 Social standards and conditions, low socio- economic level related to increase in certain diseases as a result of low education, poverty, decrease immunity, less oriented regarding health

So in summary, the action of human being to attain health and remain healthy aimed at; 4/4/2025 6:59 PM 23 Keep the environment safe Enhance the immunity to infections Behave healthfully, (stop smoking, avoid Road Traffic Accidents RTA ), eat wisely Maintaining good nutrition (nutritional deficiency Infections & increase metabolic demand) (over nutrition Obesity IHD, DM, & Ca) Having wellborn children Providing health care and care for the sick persons

Difference between medical care and PHC The PHC approach The PHC approach This functions best This functions best intersectoral co intersectoral co- -operation operation The medical care system The medical care system The medical system is vertical, The medical system is vertical, i.e. separate i.e. separate government departments government departments through through from from other other Mainly Mainly emphasizes emphasizes immunization, immunization, education education preventive preventive and and promotive. promotive. sanitation, sanitation, and health and health A curative system, emphasizing A curative system, emphasizing treatment and drugs, doctors and treatment and drugs, doctors and hospitals or auxiliaries hospitals or auxiliaries dispensaries dispensaries water, water, nutrition, nutrition, and and Emphasizes common conditions, at risk Emphasizes common conditions, at risk group, and reduction infant mortality group, and reduction infant mortality Emphasizes improved technology Emphasizes improved technology and specialization and specialization Helps healthy people in the community Helps healthy people in the community to prevent sickness as well as treating to prevent sickness as well as treating the sick the sick Auxiliaries are the main agents of health Auxiliaries are the main agents of health promotion and change promotion and change Treats individuals who are sick Treats individuals who are sick Auxiliaries Auxiliaries substitute for doctors substitute for doctors are are regarded regarded as as

Health promotion is a family and Health promotion is a family and community activity community activity Health is seen as a technology Health is seen as a technology brought in from outside brought in from outside Encourages Encourages aspects of traditional medicine aspects of traditional medicine and culture and culture Is less expensive with a bias towards Is less expensive with a bias towards equal distribution, rural areas and equal distribution, rural areas and the urban poor the urban poor the the health health positive positive Discourages traditional medicine and Discourages traditional medicine and ignores culture ignores culture Is expensive, with a strong bias Is expensive, with a strong bias towards urban areas and hospitals towards urban areas and hospitals Partly supported by community self Partly supported by community self- - reliance reliance Often paid for by central government Often paid for by central government finance finance Helps Helps communities communities capable capable themselves themselves the the individuals individuals to become to become looking looking and and more more after after Causes the patient to be dependent Causes the patient to be dependent on the doctor, nurses, and health on the doctor, nurses, and health service service of of

The limitations of medical care; 1-Economic: Impossible to provide sufficient doctors and hospitals for all population. 2-Brain drain: Many indigenous doctors became increasingly dissatisfied with inadequate facilities and migrated to the developed world increase shortage of doctors in developing countries. The more medical science developed, the less appropriate it became to the basic needs of people (sophisticated technologies practices in urban teaching hospitals were recognized as irrelevant to the health needs of people). 3-Development of drug resistance: Drug is only short term solution + The increased inflation of drug prices aspects. Emphasis on preventive

Obstacles to PHC: 1-Political resistance: There should be; -Strong political support -Firm national strategies 2-Professional group (e.g. breast feeding among doctors) 3-General public (e.g. religious leaders against vaccination of polio) 4-Medical industries (private medical industry, powder milk industry)