What this physician learned from medicine in developing countries
“On a recent call with a small health organization in rural Uganda, I asked the director about the C-section rate in the community. In some private maternity centers, this procedure is performed far more often than one might expect. I’ve learned that while this practice may be financially motivated, the extra fees also pay for staff and encourage doctors to maintain practices in these remote areas. This, in turn, keeps more pre- and post-natal care in those communities, including family planning and HIV care. For almost every ‘best practice’ cost in global health care, there is a benefit. One of the fascinating aspects of my work is to discern those rationales.”
Ann Messer is a family physician.
She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, “Don’t push harsh health care realities under the rug.” (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/dont-push-harsh-health-care-realities-under-the-rug.html)
