The National Primary Health Care Facilities Survey - Gauteng

The survey -Scope and focus

This status report on PHC in the nine provinces is one of a series of 10 reports that was compiled from data collected for purposes of a National PHC Facilities Survey during July/August 2000. In addition to the nine provincial reports, the findings of the national survey are contained in a report entitled National PHC Facilities Survey 2000, all of which are published by the Health Systems Trust. Whereas the provincial reports focus on the status of PHC in the respective provinces, with selected comparisons to the situation nationally, the national report contains inter-provincial comparisons on a wider range of indicators.

The National PHC Facilities Survey 2000 follows on two similar surveys that were conducted in 1997 and 1998 respectively, the results of which were also published by the Health Systems Trust. MSH/Equity Project published a more comprehensive report on the findings of the 1997 survey. Where possible and relevant, findings of the 2000 survey were compared with those of the previous surveys.

Comparisons were complicated and limited by the fact that the 2000-survey was not an exact replication of the previous two surveys. The 2000 survey focused on community health centres, as well as fixed, satellite and mobile clinics 1 (excluding district hospitals), while the previous surveys focused on fixed clinics and district hospitals (excluding satellite and mobile clinics). In addition the dynamics of the health care system, as well as differences in design and conceptualisation between the surveys require that comparisons should also be interpreted with due caution.

The aim of this report is to indicate areas and aspects of PHC where relatively less or more progress towards greater equity and better quality has been made over time in the nine provincs, compared to the national situation and since 1997. As a management tool, surveys and reports of this nature are intended to give effect to the policy directive towards greater equity in PHC. More specifically, the report gives and overview of:

1. The current status PHC facilities in the nine provinces in terms of services provided, as well as the availability of personnel, equipment, infrastructure, medicine and supplies and the level of community participation
2. Changes in the status of these indicators in PHC facilities compared to the situation in 1997 and 1998, and compared to the national situation in the corresponding years.
3. The current status of these indicators in PHC facilities compared to the current, national situation.

In this survey, the equity and quality of PHC care was measured quantitatively and the survey does not incorporate user perceptions. Assumptions about the quality of care were inferred from levels and standards of care that are reasonably possible, given the availability and accessibility of services at PHC facilities, as well as the availability of drugs, supplies, equipment and infrastructure at such facilities.