Health worker opinion/perception of health services provided to patients in the Selebi Phikwe Ni-Cu mine area, Botswana

Abstract

This study determines the prevalence of types of sicknesses and diseases affecting patients visiting health service facilities and the available health services within the Selebi Phikwe Ni-Cu mine area, Botswana. Through the administration of questionnaires and structured questions, attempts were made to establish and verify the existing human health problems at the study area by focusing on respiratory tract related symptoms of sicknesses and diseases. With the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), interpreted results from respondents indicated that all the health service providers served patients suffering from headaches, persistent coughing, chest pains, lower abdominal pains, pain when passing out urine, genital discharge and diarrhea. Seventy one percent of the health service providers indicated that their patients suffered from body weakness, 86 % indicated that they had patients who suffered from recent loss of body weight, and another 86 % pointed out that their patients had influenza/common cold. Other health complaints reported included unusual spitting, shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation. Moreover the health service providers indicated that they had patients who suffered from significant illnesses of which some passed away. However if there are lacking facilities, patients are referred to bigger health service providers in the country. The findings of the study do not in general depict demarcating differences of health status of residents of the study area to those of the control site. A need therefore for further investigations to be conducted to establish relations of mining activities to human health at Selebi Phikwe is called for. African Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 12(3-4) 2005: 78-86