1.What are some of the key human resource challenges that low and middle income countries face in staffing and operating their health systems? (CH. 6). What are YOUR thoughts about what you read? Please address the term ‘brain drain’ in your answer. What are the ethical issues in educating health care workers in a developing country – and those health care workers migrating to developed countries in order to earn higher salaries (in most instances leaving the original country in great need of qualified nurses and physicians)? How would YOU propose to solve these issues? Cite your textbook at least once (page number only).
For the following, you will choose to answer EITHER 2A or 2B (your choice). Be sure to indicate which one you are answering. (CH. 6 and CH. 7). PLEASE WRITE ABOUT 2A
2 A. What proportion of their GDP do countries generally spend on health? Why is there such a wide range? (CH. 6). What are YOUR thoughts about what you read? Cite your textbook at least once (page number only).
3. Why would members of a community seek treatment for illness from traditional healers? What is your OPINION of traditional healers or of non-nurse midwives? When you were growing up, did your parents (or grandparents) use alternative therapies when someone was ill (eg in my family, my mother rubbed Vick’s on our chests when we had a cold)? (CH. 7).
4. Find someone, anyone but yourself, who was raised in another country. Ask them about their experiences with health care in that country. You can talk with other health care folks where you work (a great way to have a conversation with someone you work with) – or any other person. YES. That person can be from Canada. Answer these questions: a. who was this person (name not necessary but were they a colleague, friend, relative, someone you ran into at Starbucks, etc); b. what did they tell you and what was MOST surprising to you in what they told you?
5. What are your thoughts about what I wrote above in the last two paragraphs to the introduction to this unit above? The first paragraph begins with “Finally…..”. Right above my name. The two paragraphs are highlighted in light yellow. In a class like this, it is always OK and perfectly acceptable to disagree with the teacher – and present your own thinking about this or any other topic. You’re in a safe place to learn.
Finally, here is something that I tell my face to face students: “Being poor doesn’t mean you’re stupid; it means you’re poor”. I’ve traveled all over the world and worked in some extremely dire, horrible situations. I’ve met so many people. Many are JUST as smart as we are (you and me). They just have no or little access to resources.
When traveling to a developing country, I firmly do not believe in a ‘hand out’ but, rather, a ‘handshake’. What this means is that we work, together, as adults.
Betty