Managerial Challenges Toward Unequal Gender Treatment in South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT Worldwide changes in medical health care have raised a number of challenges for health care organisations. In addition to building and maintaining massive networks of patient information, cost analysis, managed care and physicians, they must also maintain responsiveness to the dynamic market conditions (Johns, 1997). According to Casebeer and Hannah (1998), the efforts of government to adjust the responsiveness and efficiency of their health care systems are evident across the globe. This paper focuses on the quality element of the managerial service system dimension with specific reference to the satisfaction (congruence between expectations and perceptions of performance) of patients and the service responsiveness of hospital staff towards patients in public hospitals in South Africa. Real quality can only be achieved if all patients have access to and receive the same levels of service regardless of gender or race. doi:10.1300/J156v08n01_04served.]