GROUP ACTIVITY:

HEALTH CARE DEVELOPMENT: JABULANI HOSPITAL.


PROJECT DESCRIPTION


This project is situated at Jabulani, Soweto. It is about a community hospital that will open later this year. Construction began in October 2006. This hospital is built here because there is only one hospital in Soweto which is Chris Thembisile Hani Baragwanath Hospital. This hospital will help reduce and minimise large number of patients going to Chris Thembisile Hani Baragwanath. The hospital will be subsidised by the government. Approximately a total of about R536 million has been spent on the construction of the hospital. The hospital will have 300 beds and well-equipped facilities to address health care needs in the highly populated area. It's role would be to provide welfare services, laboratory services, pharmacy, dental care, family and pregnancy planning, HIV/AIDS counselling, paediatric and antenatal treatment, tuberculosis, VCT and dietitian services for free. This project is aimed at improving health services at Soweto as there have been overcrowding at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. It is a public hospital that will be able to help everyone in need by giving them the necessary medication and care. This hospital will open later this year with the purpose of meeting health needs of the community. The main actor for this hospital is the government. This hospital will have a very good impact to both Soweto residents and other people who are also from other places. This development project will also help in reducing transport fees of going to another hospital for all the local communities.


WHY IS THIS DEVELOPMENT?

We consider this a development because it will help patients to get health services for free and it is easily accessible. It will help to provide employment opportunities for local people, for example create jobs for cleaning staff, nurses, doctors and all other medical related job opportunities; this will contribute to the economic growth of our country; once formally employed, these people will help government generate revenue through paying tax and increased buying power will in turn boost the local businesses which will also pay business tax as well. The revenue generated from tax will help provide for basic and essential services such as water supply and there will be possible construction of another hospital. We consider this development because once completed educational workshops on health will be provided thus empowering people with knowledge on different diseases with regards to prevention, treatment and control. It will also help people from surrounding areas to access medicinal pills, emergency services to debilitated patients and pregnant women. This Jabulani health care institute development project will rectify imbalances in terms of equal access to health care services. After the completion of this healthcare amenity people will have access to free basic health care services. This project will also help decrease the every day accelerating of mortality and morbidity rates. It will help to decrease mother to child transfer of HIV because the patients will be well taken care of and will be given more recovery time after delivery under the supervision of nurses and midwives, not worrying about shortage of wards.

It will educate the society about HIV/AIDS and any other epidermic issue to raise awareness about how to protect themselves or to treat people who have the same disease in a dignified manner. With people being evenly distributed between the hospitals the ratio of doctors to patients will be viable therefore increasing the efficiency of the staff which also acts as a catalyst to development. This hospital will help meet everyone health needs, especially those within the community. The Jabulani hospital is considered as a development project due to the fact that it is situated in a central area that will be easy to be accessed by both the patients and the patients visitors, and provide services to people who need doctors and medicine thus improving the lives and well being of the community and outside the immediate community. it could be pf great benefits to the surrounding communities as they wont be travelling long distances and the community will be actively involved in decision making.This project is a development because its main aim is to improve the health of people so that they can continue living and renewing their well-being. Therefore the Jabulani hospital does invests in the community by meeting the interest of the community.It is considered as development because it will help people regain their health if they face any difficulties concerning their health. It will be saving people's lives and maintaining their health. People will receive equal health services from the hospital. In general this project is a development because people will receive services that where not granted in the past.


WHICH BROAD GROUP OF DEVELOPMENT THEORIES UNDERPINS OUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT?

Structuralism, Neo-marxism and socialism theories
Alternative or/and Grassroots development theories

This project connects or links the socialist approach and the basic needs approach, both these theories have something in common, which is to achieve governments aims/objectives and developing the basic needs of the people. The socialist approach has the state as the leader in development, having all most complete ownership of the country`s possessions and it is actively involved in welfare services in this regard which is health; with the above statement the relationship between the two theories appears; with the state having complete ownership of the country`s possessions it's focus will be shifted on targeting and developing the basic needs of the people. Basic needs include: food, water, shelter and welfare.It is clear that the state will make provisions for this health care facility and like most of the public health care facilities the decisions of maintenance and sustainability will be made according to the central plans of government. This project may be viewed as a social investment and obviously profit will not be the driving force rather the basic needs of the people will be regarded as first priority, in this regard it would be ensuring that local communities have access to quality medical care and social support.It is grassroots development because the state not an NGO is involved in delivering basic needs for the people. Our project underpins with the basic needs approach, due to it aiming at caring for those in need. The hospital project also links with John Maynard Keynes perspective of real investment where government invests in the infrastructure of the country to provide economic growth and benefit the community. Neo-Marxism and socialism because the state provides and is the one financing the project. Therefore the community's interests are met equally rather individually. It is structuralism, Neo Maxism and socialism because it looks at problems as a whole rather than individually.The Socialism Approach focuses on the health, creation of employment, wealth and opportunities for people, it is there to cater to the needs of the people and society as well as the eradication of poverty and preventing the poverty cycle from moving from generation to generation, it is concentrated on the provision of services and in this case the Jabulani Hospital is a perfect angle. The Basic Needs Approach underpins this developmental project because peoples basic health needs of poor and neglected people will be met. People with different kinds of illnesses can visit this hospital and they can be provided with regular treatment according to the kind of sickness. This will result in a healthier community and will less deaths that can be prevented.




PROOF OF WHY THE CHOSEN THEORIES ARE SUGGESTED AS THEORIES UNDERPINNING OUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

1 THE MAIN ACTOR/ROLE PLAYER

The main actor in our development project is the state/government as they are responsible for providing essential services and infrastructure which is access to health care facilities in this regard. The main actor of this development is the state because it is centrally planned and in that case private companies or non-governmental organisation can not perform this project. The state plays a Major role in promoting this kind of service delivery. People receive this service delivery for free. This is another reason why the state is the role layer in this project because not even a single private institution will give such service delivery. The main actor of this project is the state because, it is the one that funded this project from start to finish and no NGO or private institution can be able to complete such a project.

2.THE CENTER OF INTERVENTION

It is the people and the state through collective efforts, the state proposed the idea of constructing the health institution to the people and then received feedback, this is done through the principles of democracy amongst others the principle of popular consultation, after this process the decision was taken according to central plans of government. The private institutions such as the The Big 5 Construction Company, (responsible for the refurbishment and maintenance of the hospital) and cleaning enterprises, the Ree Cleaning Company ( responsible for cleaning and hygienic well-being of the hospital) will also be cooperative with this Hospital. This emphasises that relationship between the public sector and the private sector is significant for health care provision, the cooperation between these two institutions is referred to as Private-Public Partnership (P.P.P). The centre of intervention is based on the people and the government ensuring that communities share the benefits of the country. People receive better services because the state provides these resources. Society in this case is the centre of this intervention. They depend on the state to provide this service and also the state makes it possible that every member of the society receives equal access to health care services of the country.


THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON CHILDREN/YOUTH

This project has both negative and positive on children and youth:

Positive Impact on children

Soon as the hospital is up and running, parents can access appropriate medical care for their children; this will be done through free vaccinations, thus decreasing the occurrence of the major childhood diseases (acute respiratory infection, malaria, measles and AIDS), tips on the right kind of diet will be provided to children's parents, this will help prevent malnutrition, as well as tips on hygiene practices will be given, this is vital to prevent waterborne diseases and it will reduce the cases of infant mortality. Overall this project will enhance the general well-fare of children, thus insuring their survival and well-being.
Children are very active and want to experiment with everything they see, they pick up germs everywhere they go therefore this hospital will help when it comes to curing of their diseases and every sickness that comes with being a child.This project will have a positive impact on the children and youth because it will be able to give them all the necessary medical attention. This hospital will have qualified staff who will provide mothers of children with medicine and advice that will best benefit them throughout their childhood. Children and youth can also be taught about their health and how to keep their bodies healthy at all times and what foods to eat at different stages of their lives, in order to be healthy individuals. This project will benefit young people because it will curb and reduce morbidity and mortality rates among the youth and children. This hospital is easily accessible and convenient as it is centrally located in Soweto.

The fascinating part about this project, is that it empowers the youth through employment opportunities and skills development, this is vital for them as it prepares them for the labour market and it improves their financial life. This project will better the youth's knowledge on issues concerning health, such as education on health, sex, hygiene practices illness management at home, family planning etc. The youth will also get access to free and quality medical care. For example: where were children born and under what circumstances did this happen? Now mothers can give birth to their children under better circumstances which will not put their health conditions in danger. Clinics and hospitals, Jabulani Hospital as well, will be in a position to educate people of Soweto. The project will also contribute to children and youth education to teach children how to lead healthier lives. This is a public hospital which will have open doors for anyone with meeting the medical and health needs of the community, and will provide necessary medication to all-especially children and the youth. Youth have the advantage of free sex education and being taught how to be act responsible in terms of abstaining, using contraceptives and being faithful. It will help children get off the streets and get educated about the importance of looking after themselves. Children will be taught at an early age on how to prevent from infectious diseases HIV and sex education will be taught at a right considerable age.

Negative impact on the youth

This project can increase infant mortality rate (in cases of pregnancy) if proper child birth procedures are not followed, it can also expose them unto easily spread diseases such as TB if proper hygiene practices are not followed and this may have psychological implication (in cases of illness and death of a family member). The youth can use the prescribed drugs in a wrong way to satisfy their habits, this can have serious implications for their health, another impact this institution may have is opening more grounds for academic cheating as students may go to obtain sick letters as a way of avoiding tests or work that is due. Young people will be deterred by overcrowding because this hospital project is a public facility and it will interfere with their privacy. Children and youth are excluded from decision making,participation and empowerment of this project. Unqualified medical practitioners and shortage of medicine are going to have negative impacts to children and youth because it will increase their vulnerability of being the victims of morbidity(illness) and mortality(death). It is now becoming a new trend for the youth to go to hospitals or clinics to access medicine so that they can use it for their own pleasure as a means of drugs. Young people tend to use the hospoital's authority in a wrong manner, if an individual is unable to meet certain criteria at school or workplace they usually obtain sick letters from the hospital. This is a result of partying before the day of work, or lack preparation of school work and also the doctors that are do not respect their profession. The Jabulani hospital will increase these incidents around the area.


DEVELOPED BY:

Dlamini B.B (201102874)
Mwelase M. (200904797)
Ntsontso TT. (201118589)
Mpete J (201180780)
Gidimi T.L (200913484)
Chawana T (200929035)
Rikhotso NN (201130791)
Mthethwa MT(201125143)
Mangisa LN. (201037106)
Ngubane T.B (201121729)
Zwane T.K (201123787)
Sekhasa S.A (201024599)
Ngoveni H.P (201113938)
mashele M (200736677)
Ndlovu SS. (201102102)
Rikhotso NN (201130791)
Dlamini M.M (201020550)
Briedenhann G.M. (201174756)
Mashige H.A.(201122462)

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