Implementation of the ward based outreach teams programme in the rural area

Academic Paper from the year 2016 in the subject Medicine - Public Health, grade: MBA, , course: MBA, language: English, abstract: This paper investigates the implementation of ward Based Outreach Teams programme in the rural areas of the Kgetleng sub district, in the North West Province of South Africa.

The Department of Health has set a long-term goal of establishing National Health Insurance in the country. This would provide equitable and universal coverage for a defined package of healthcare. One of the key pillars of National Health Insurance is the re-engineering of Primary Health Care, which has at its heart in the development of Ward-Based Outreach Teams who will take the responsibility for specific groups of households.

In this regard, the South African Department of Health has considered re-engineering of the Primary Health Care model in the country in making sure health resources; technology and quality services are available, accessible and affordable to all communities. The North West province Department of Health is currently piloting the Primary Health Care re-engineering programme, which include the Ward Based Outreach Teams programme in all four Districts. Bojanala, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati. In Bojanala District, the pilot site is in ward five in Kgetleng sub district.

In this paper, the quantitative research design was used where self - administered questionnaires were provided to the Community Health Workers (CHW) and the Outreach team leaders (OTL) for data collection.

The findings of the paper indicated that Ward Based Outreach Teams contribute towards a better understanding of local health care needs, inform service priorities, refer patients to different stakeholders, and build stronger relationships between service providers and users in the communities. The key elements to practice this service are person-centred comprehensive care, collaboration between people, practitioners, and continuity of health care in the community.