Healthcare System and Providers

Flashcards reviewing key vocabulary and concepts related to the South African healthcare system and healthcare professionals.

Public Healthcare Sector (South Africa)

Funded by the National Treasury, serving the majority of the population due to high poverty and unemployment.

Primary Healthcare Clinic (Level 1)

The first line of access in the public health system, offering immunisation, family planning, ante-natal care, and treatment of common diseases. Services are generally free.

Community Healthcare Centre (Level 1)

Offers services similar to a Primary Healthcare Clinic, with the addition of a 24-hour maternity service, emergency care, casualty, and a short-stay ward.

District Hospital (Level 1)

Receives referrals from community health centres and clinics providing diagnostic, treatment, care, counselling and rehabilitation services.

Regional Hospital (Level 2)

Receives referrals from district hospitals and provides specialist support.

Provincial Tertiary Hospital (Level 3)

Receives referrals from regional hospitals and provides sub-specialist support.

Central Hospital (Level 4)

The highest level of healthcare; provides highly specialised referral units for multi-speciality clinical services, innovation, and research.

Specialised Hospital

Provides care only for certain specialised groups of patients (e.g., chronic psychiatric, TB, spinal injury, acute infectious disease).

National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)

Provides diagnostic and health research services; the largest pathology service in South Africa.

Private Healthcare System (South Africa)

Funded primarily by medical aid schemes; serves a smaller portion of the population.

Mortality Rate

Measures the number of deaths in a particular population over a specific period.

Morbidity Rate

Indicates the frequency or proportion with which a disease appears in a country's population.

PASOP Campaign

Prevent, Avoid, Stop, Overcome and Protect Campaign launched in 2014 to fight against HIV/AIDS and TB.

PMTCT Programme

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Programme aimed at reducing maternal and child morbidity related to HIV.

Healthcare Professional

A person associated with a speciality or discipline, qualified and allowed by regulatory bodies to provide healthcare service to a patient.

Healthcare Provider

Any individual, institution, or agency that provides health services to healthcare consumers; not always a healthcare professional.

Multi-Disciplinary Team

Consists of several healthcare professionals within a healthcare environment, each with their own speciality, to achieve comprehensive patient care.

Interrelationship (Healthcare)

How two or more healthcare professionals or entities are connected and affect one another, requiring open communication and teamwork.