Introduction
Among other problems, developing countries face an acute shortage of quality medical assistance. Strategic approaches have been proposed and utilized to tackle care provision in developing countries, yet there is still a shortage of medical equipment, skilled workers, supplies, etc. Due to the standing issues of health care in such countries, it is paramount to review their nature and strategies that can be utilized to address them along with one nurse can exercise.
Challenges of Health Care Provision
One of the greatest challenges of delivering quality care to people in developing countries is the shortage of professionals (Mills, 2014). The problem arises from the low popularity of the nursing, physician, or other health-related professions. The reasons include low wages, long hours and the demanding nature of the job. The shortage of facilities that provide high-quality education is also the factor that undermines the number of trained health care workers in the field.
The other problem that also makes the delivery of high-quality health care service rarely possible is the shortage of medical supplies (Nair, 2014). The absence of clean water, bandages, medications, and appliances along with a sterile or at least clean hospital environment significantly degrade the quality of care. Most of those items are imported from other countries, which imposes a dependence and inability to regulate the supply.
Strategies to Amend Health Care Provision Issues
One of the strategies is the establishment of a comprehensive support program for nurses and other essential health care personnel (Puchalski et al., 2016). Such a program should include plans for financial support of educational institutions that train such professionals. This can improve the skill level and expertise of the people who provide care to patients daily decreasing the number of hazardous situations and health issues. The program should also include subsidies to increase the salaries of health care workers to increase the attractiveness of the profession.
Another strategy that could be used to raise the quality of health care in developing countries is state-sponsored orders for essential medical supplies to national and international pharmaceutical companies (Lyengar, Hedman, Forte, & Hill, 2016). Such a strategy will allow increasing the flow of essential medicines and appliances to clinics around the countries. Above that, it will stimulate the production and supply of such goods. It may even provoke the emergence of new domestic companies that produce medical equipment and necessary items.
Strategy for Nurses to Use
Nurses’ role in helping developing countries establish the acceptable quality of care is that of an active advocate and educator. Therefore, the strategy that could bring their voice to the international level and help poor countries advance their health care sector is an establishment of extended cooperation of national and international nursing organizations. American Nurses Association and International Council of Nurses could partner with World Health Organization, Red Cross, and others to provide targeted support and education to countries in need.
Conclusion
All in all, to address the multitude of issues that developing countries experience there is a need for comprehensive strategies and collaboration at all levels. The shortage of professionals and supplies could be addressed using the extended national government support and the knowledge and experience of nurses around the world. Nurses can become a major force in teaching their colleagues from developing countries and helping them address the care needs of their patients.
References
Lyengar, S., Hedman, L., Forte, G., & Hill, S. (2016). Medicine shortages: A commentary on causes and mitigation strategies. BMC Medicine, 14(1), 124-127.
Mills, A. (2014). Health Care Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(6), 552–557.
Nair, M., Yoshida, S., Lambrechts, T., Boschi-Pinto, C., Bose, K., Mason, E. M., & Mathai, M. (2014). Facilitators and barriers to quality of care in maternal, newborn and child health: a global situational analysis through metareview. BMJ Open, 4(5), e004749.
Puchalski, L. M., Khan, S., Moore, J. E., Timmings, C., van Lettow, M., Vogel, J. P., … Straus, S. E. (2016). Low- and middle-income countries face many common barriers to implementation of maternal health evidence products. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 76, 229–237.