How present-day colonialism has affected the sustainability of the public health care system
Overview
A small look into how colonism is still affecting Belize's unsustainable public healthcare services from the eyes of the nurses and patients who have experienced it.
Our health care system is one of the many sectors stilling affected by modern day colonialism by its unsustainable practices and low-quality mediocre services. Sastre et al (2014) explains that the health needs of the people in this region need to be addressed and to develop strategies to target the root of these negative health care trends along with many other issues and unsustainable practices and services. Although many countries including Belize signed in agreement to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals by the year of 2030, I personally do not see Goal number three target three point eight being in process to achieve. Target three point eight reads " to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all", but is anything being done to achieve this goal in our country or are my assumptions wrong (United Nations, n.d.)?
In my research to seek the facts about my assumptions, two nurses who worked in both public and private health sectors and a patient who was recently discharged from the public hospital was kind enough to answer my questions that surrounded my assumption. Both nurses agreed that in terms of high-quality services at public health care providers are limited to mediocre consultations, basic surgical procedures and laboratory work, regular CT scans and X rays; however, the public hospitals are at a deficit. Patients are usually referred to more advanced health care establishments to receive the higher quality services that public hospitals are unable to offer. The Patient shared that while being admitted in the hospital the nurses did not even explain to him what medication was being administered and the doctors were very vague and limited on information about his situation and also criticized him for asking too. As a Patient, you have a right to know this information and to be treat respectfully. The Nurses continued by sharing that unfortunately not all necessary medications are currently accessible for patients at the public hospitals country wide for either walk in or admitted patients. Due to the deficit of medication in the public sector of health care, patients receive prescriptions to obtain their medication from private pharmacies at this time. One of the nurses added that not even Tylenol is available for distribution. The patient explained that after his surgery, his father had to purchase his pain medication, tape for his I.V. and necessary antibiotics due to the hospital not having any in stock. As both nurses and the patient compared the quality of health care between private and public hospitals, they all agreed that private hospitals are honestly a better choice as it relates to high-quality services, accessible medication and better treatment; however, the only downfall would be the high cost of these things.
At public hospitals, resources and services are lacking due to the influx of monetary fund being limited as compared to private sectors that have a larger influx of funds which assists in making sure the quality service and necessary materials are available. However, the money is not the only factor to blame, as the government is the financial provider for these public health systems who chooses to neglected them because they do not need those services as they can afford to go to costly private health care facilities. This has been an ongoing situation and has gone further downhill due to the recent pandemic. This should be a call for change as many of our citizens’ only options are to go these public hospitals just to either be turned away or not assisted properly and cannot afford otherwise else. As I conclude and realize my assumptions were right, I am even more sadden by this reality we live in. The government and citizens should take pride in the public health care services being offered, not take shame and disgrace.
References
Magana, M., Patient, Personal Communication, December 8, 2021
Mejia. M., Nurse, Personal Communication, December 9, 2021
Sastre, F., Rojas, P., Cyrus, E., De La Rosa, M., & Khoury, A. H. (2014). Improving the health
status of Caribbean people: recommendations from the Triangulating on Health Equity summit. Global health promotion, 21(3), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975914523455
Sustainable Development Goals | United Nations Development Programme. United Nations Development Programme. (2021). Retrieved 6 October 2021, from https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals.
Westby, N., Nurse, Personal Communication, December 9, 2021