IndexOutline of an essay on healthcareIntroductionPrinciples of primary healthcareComprehensive approach to primary healthcareAffordable, accessible and appropriate carePhelophepa Trains as an exampleMultidisciplinary teamsHealth promotionReflection and future perspectiveHealthcare Essay ExampleWorks CitedHealthcare Essay OutlineIntroductionIntroduction to the importance of healthcare accessibility in South Africa and around the worldMention primary healthcare (PHC) and its comprehensive approachPrinciples of primary healthcareOverview of the three key principles of comprehensive approach to primary health care (PHC)Definition and origin of the comprehensive approach to primary health care at 1978 Alma-Ata Conference Emphasis on holistic treatment and focus on general well-being Objectives of primary health care, including promotion of a healthy lifestyle, disease prevention and rehabilitation Affordable, affordable and adequate care The importance of making healthcare accessible to all Cooperation between government, private and public sectors and the general population Ensuring that healthcare is culturally acceptable and appropriate to community needsPhelophepa trains as an exampleIntroduction to Phelophepa trains as mobile clinicsLow-cost healthcare services provided by trainsThe role of transport and equipment in making healthcare accessible and appropriateMultidisciplinary teamsThe importance of healthcare professionals with diverse skills who they work togetherEnsuring a holistic approach to health problemsChallenges in rural areas with limited access to specialist expertisePromoting healthThe importance of preventative healthcare and educationReducing the need for treatment through public health educationCost-effectiveness and long-term benefits of health promotionReflection and future perspectiveThe importance of including indigenous health knowledge in health education The need for empathy and a broader understanding of access to healthcare The role of healthcare professionals in supporting universally accessible healthcare Essay example about healthcare Healthcare is something that every single person needs access to. But there are many people across South Africa, as well as the rest of the world, who cannot afford even the most basic healthcare. This is a major problem across our society and one that the comprehensive approach to primary healthcare (PHC) aims to solve (Alperstein, 2018: 15). Primary healthcare is important in any community and consists of many principles: three of the most important are affordable, accessible and appropriate care, multidisciplinary teams and health promotion (Alperstein, 2018: 23). These principles are beautifully illustrated by the Phelophepa Trains, two trains that function as mobile clinics that travel throughout South Africa (Journeyman Pictures, 2008). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Primary healthcare is the belief that, despite everything else, everyone has the right to health and well-being (Alperstein, 2018: 22). However, due to the injustices of society, poverty often leads to health problems. Therefore, to achieve health for all, social equity must be a priority to ensure that everyone benefits economically and has access to necessary health care. And, since the goals of primary healthcare are very broad, acomprehensive and global approach (Alperstein, 2018: 23). The comprehensive approach to primary healthcare was defined during the Alma-Ata Conference in 1978 (Alperstein, 2018: 21) as holistic treatment of health problems, focusing not only on making sure the patient is not sick, but also about ensuring that he is well in all aspects of life (Alperstein, 2018: 23). Comprehensive primary healthcare is not only curative, but also about promoting a healthy lifestyle, preventing the spread of disease and rehabilitation when necessary (Alperstein,2018: 34). In essence, the ultimate goal of primary healthcare is to improve the quality of life of all of society, especially those who need it most: the poor (Alperstein, 2018: 34). Primary healthcare is based on many principles: one of these is to provide accessible, acceptable and appropriate care (Alperstein, 2018: 23). The first step to making healthcare accessible to all is to make it accessible to all (Alperstein, 2018: 29). Denying people healthcare simply because of their financial situation is one of the main reasons why people are forced to go without healthcare (Alperstein, 2018: 29). To ensure that everyone can afford healthcare, cooperation is needed between the government, the public and private healthcare sectors, and the general population (Alperstein, 2018: 29). Regarding the acceptability of healthcare, all involved must be aware of the cultural and religious beliefs and norms of the communities to which they will provide care (Alperstein, 2018: 29). In this way, people in these communities will feel accepted and harmless and will therefore accept the care offered (Alperstein, 2018: 29). Care must also be tailored to the needs of the community; appropriate facilities and technology must be made more readily available to ensure the best possible treatment (Alperstein, 2018: 29). An excellent example of primary healthcare is the Phelophepa Trains: two trains that travel throughout rural areas of South Africa, essentially operating as mobile clinics (Journeyman Pictures, 2008). Since this project aims to help those in need, the costs are deliberately low. For example, dental procedures cost R10, all prescriptions (whether aspirin or drugs for more serious problems) cost R5, and glasses only R30 a pair (Transnet Foundation, 2018). The affordable costs immediately make it much more accessible for many people who might not otherwise have been able to pay for their care. Furthermore, Phelophepa trains allow for the transportation of much needed equipment, meaning that healthcare workers can provide acceptable and adequate care (Transnet Foundation, 2018). Another important aspect of primary healthcare is the cooperation and involvement of multidisciplinary providers. teams (Alperstein, 2018: 23). Having healthcare professionals with different expertise working together allows the team to provide a holistic approach to health problems and ensure a satisfactory solution that takes into account all the needs of both the individual and the community (Alperstein, 2018: 29). These teams include doctors, physiotherapists, traditional healthcare providers and many others, depending on the patient's needs (Alperstein, 2018: 30, 31). Interdisciplinary teams are especially a problem in rural areas where specialized skills are scarce (Alperstein, 2018: 29) – therefore, to ensure equal healthcare, we must attempt an equitable distribution of skills between different communities. Once again, the Phelophepa Trains demonstrate this principleof primary healthcare quite well. Each train has a permanent staff of nurses, opticians, dentists and even translators (Transnet Foundation, 2018). On board the trains there are, in addition to permanent staff, also medical students, psychologists and health educators (Transnet Foundation, 2018). By having so many different healthcare professionals on board, Phelophepa trains are able to provide treatment for a wide range of health problems and ensure their patients' needs are met. The third essential principle of comprehensive global healthcare is health promotion (Alperstein, 2018 : 23). This principle ensures that healthcare is not entirely curative but also preventative (Alperstein, 2018: 29). By educating the public about how to prevent disease and stay healthy, the number of people needing treatment decreases. This means that the money that would be needed for the treatment can be spent on something else, therefore making it a more cost-effective solution for everyone involved (Alperstein, 2018: 29). This is especially important for countries that struggle to provide adequate healthcare due to limited funding and resources (Alperstein, 2018: 29). Health promotion and education is something that Phelophepa Trains puts a lot of effort into. Their practitioners participate in multiple awareness programs (Journeyman Pictures, 2008) – for example, dentists visit primary schools to provide oral hygiene education and there is an AIDS action program aimed at teaching people how to cope the condition (Transnet Foundation, 2018). In collaboration with St. John (a community health training-oriented organization), Phelophepa Trains identify key people in each community visited for home care training (Transnet Foundation, 2018). Numerous workshops are held, for adults and children, covering many issues ranging from substance abuse to teenage pregnancy (Transnet Foundation, 2018). These efforts in health education are a good way to ensure that the Phelophepa Train not only helps these communities in the short term but also in the long term and therefore improves their overall quality of life (Journeyman Pictures, 2008). the principles of comprehensive primary healthcare and reading the Phelophepa train definitely opened my eyes to the complexities of healthcare and the unfair distribution of resources in the healthcare sector. The Western version of healthcare that exists today is only possible because of the previous disregard of different cultures and indigenous healthcare knowledge (IHK) (Alperstein, 2018: 15). This has made healthcare equality much harder to achieve, and it saddens me that not only are people being subjected to rising healthcare prices that many cannot afford, but also that a wealth of knowledge has been lost due to of past prejudices (Alperstein, 2018: 15). . However, Phelophepa trains also showed me that accessible and affordable primary healthcare for all is possible if the state and the healthcare sector are willing to work together. As a developing integrative healthcare professional, this topic has helped me identify many areas I need to improve. Research into the roots of primary healthcare has brought to my attention that much of what I learn is Western-centric (Alperstein, 2018:15) and I now know that the dimension of knowledge (Olckers, L., Gibbs, T ., Duncan, M., 2007: 3) of the IHP model should also include indigenous health knowledge (Alperstein, 2018: 5). Additionally, part of being an IHP is being empathetic (Olckers, L., Gibbs, T.,.