Health Care in KwaZulu-Natal : Implications for Planning

Part 1 sets the scene for health planning in KwaZulu-Natal in 1996, providing information on the people of the province and the national policy milieu.

Part 2 provides detailed information on the resources available in each region, addressing health facilities and their accessibility to the population, human and financial resources. Resources are described for the Province, local authorities and in some cases for the private sector. Disparities between regions are demonstrated by relating resources to population. Disparities are evident eg. the preponderance of resources in the area around Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Part 3 brings together different elements of the ReHMIS data to describe certain programmes and services. Primary Health Care and hospital services are described. Maternal, child and womens health services are described. Special attention is given to the provision of MCWH services as a comprehensive package, because clinics and health centres which are not integrated and comprehensive warrant immediate attention.

Further information is provided on facilities, equipment, personnel and utilisation of services for emergencies, mental health, oral health, rehabilitation, medico-legal and forensic services, radiological services, laboratory services, pharmaceutical services and health information services.

Where major discrepancies occur between resources in different regions, these are pointed out. ReHMIS offers no reliable information about environmental health services, but as this is of major importance, reference is made to other work outlining the objectives and problems of this service.

Communicable disease control deals mostly with the priorities of tuberculosis, STD/HIV/AIDS, malaria, and typhoid. Much of this information comes from sources other than ReHMIS, which only provides utilisation data in the form of visits for TB and STDs.