Hesperian Health Guides
Chapter 3: The Medical System
How to use this chapter:
This chapter can help anyone hoping to receive care in their medical system, especially if getting care in a clinic or hospital is new to you. It will help you know what to expect and how to prepare. Because many medical systems have problems, including a lack of respectful and high quality care for women and other groups that face discrimination, the chapter offers suggestions about how to get better care and what communities can do to improve medical and health care systems.
When trained promoters give basic health care in the community, everyone gets better care for less money.
Most areas of the world have several kinds of health care. There may be community health workers, midwives, traditional healers, doctors, nurses, and others. They might work in their own homes, in clinics or health centers, or in hospitals. They may be in private clinics or hospitals (charging more money for their services), or they may be supported by the community, the government, a church, or another organization. Sometimes they are well trained and equipped—and sometimes they are not. Together they are called the medical system.
Many illnesses go away on their own and some health problems are commonly treated at home. But sometimes you or your family will need care from the medical system.
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solving health problemsUnfortunately, the health system does not work well for everyone. Good care is hard to get when you lack enough money or live far from health services. Even when a health clinic is nearby or low-cost, it may not offer the services you need. And people who face discrimination also often receive poor health care. This happens to many women, including transgender and homosexual women.