ABSTRACT
Aim :Like most of sub-Saharan Africa; Malawi suffers from a paucity of human resources in the health sector. With an average of one physician for every 50;000 persons; and a health care professional to in-patient population ratio of 1:277; patient care suffers. At Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) of Lilongwe; Malawi; family members; termed Hospital Guardians; are utilized to provide basic care for patients. The aim of our study is to characterize this population and explore their role in the health care system of KCH. Methods Seventy three semi-qualitative surveys and nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted with hospital administrators; Guardians; nurses; and physicians from these wards. The results were analyzed using descriptive analysis and emergent coding. ResultsIt was found that Hospital Guardians were primarily female family members of patients and have a low literacy rate. They performed a wide range of daily tasks in patient care from wound care to advocacy. Despite their essential role in the health care system; the Guardians were provided with little support from the hospital. There was often conflict between the Guardians and hospital personnel due to overcrowding with more than one Guardian per patient; a lack of understanding of hospital rules and regulations; and a lack of respect for the Guardian role by hospital staff.Conclusions :Until their role can be reduced by additional trained health care professionals; patient care could be improved by institutional support including a clarification of the role of the Hospital Guardians. Recommendations include a one-patient one-guardian policy; Guardian education; and enhancing Guardian resources
Subject(s)
Custodial Care , Delivery of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Family , Health Personnel , InpatientsABSTRACT
Le Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Brazzaville (C.H.U-B), est l'une des grandes structures sanitaires en République du Congo. Dans ce centre hospitalier, on constate une présence massive des gardes malades, qui interpelle plus d'un observateur au point de s'interroger sur leur nécessité. Celle-ci serait elle l'expression de la solidarité ou du dysfonctionnement des services sous tutelle du C.H.U-B? Pour vérifier nos hypothèses, nous nous sommes parvenus au résultat selon lequel, cette présence des gardes malades dans ce centre hospitalier résulte de la conjonction de ces deux (02) facteurs, c'est à dire la solidarité mécanique et le dysfonctionnement du C.H.U-B. À cela s'ajoute l'inadéquation entre les nouvelles attentes des malades et l'état actuel des structures de ce centre.
The Brazzaville Hospital and University Center (C.H.U-B) is one of the largest health facilities in the Republic of Congo. In this hospital, there is a massive presence of sick keepers, which challenges more than one observer to question the reason of their existence. Would this be the expression of the solidarity or the dysfunction of the services under the supervision of the C.H.U-B? To verify our hypotheses, we arrived at the result according to which, this presence of the sick keepers in this hospital center results from the conjunction of these two (02) factors, that is to say the mechanical solidarity and the dysfunction of the CHU-B. Added to this is the mismatch between the new expectations of the patients and the current state of the structures of this center.