South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Previous work from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, South Africa, has suggested that public sector district hospitals are not providing adequate access to surgical care in the form of bellwether operations (caesarean section (CS), open reduction of fractures (ORF) and laparotomy). ⋯ Regional and tertiary hospitals are performing the bulk of non-obstetric bellwether operations in KZN. This imbalance has major implications for planning future delivery of surgical care in the province.
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There is little information on the financial return of investment when funding the tertiary education of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in South Africa (SA). ⋯ The analysis has shown that the cost of HCPs' education, where the annual pass rate is >90%, and >98% of graduates are employed, is an excellent investment. Consideration should be given to finding ways of improving the pass rate at institutions of higher learning and ensuring that graduates obtain meaningful employment if such returns on investment are to be seen on a national level.
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Given the elevated risk of tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant disease, experienced by health workers in South Africa (SA), effective workers' compensation for occupational TB is a legal right and an essential social benefit. ⋯ Affected health workers' experience of the workers' compensation system was mostly negative, adding to the burden of being ill with TB. Education of management and clinicians, improvement in communication, and timeous and regular checking of claim status and of payment of applicable compensation are required at the provincial level. Dedicated facility-based occupational health units are needed, with a staff complement of knowledgeable persons trusted by their colleagues. However, the effectiveness of the system is ultimately dependent on the ability of the Compensation Fund to register and display claims timeously and administer compensation expeditiously.