A Report of an Elective Spent in the Department of Paediatrics, Victoria Hospital, South Africa

Abstract

I chose to spend the 8 weeks of my elective in South Africa as it is a country which fascinates me in many ways. Known as the “Rainbow Nation” it is a country of diverse beauty; with many races, languages and cultures. Unfortunately there are also extreme inequalities in standard of living and quality of life, stemming from the long term effects of the apartheid era. The result is a population ranging from third world poverty to first world wealth and prosperity, literally on one another’s doorstep. Healthcare mirrors the same disparity, with the private sector providing medical care of world-wide cutting edge standards, whilst the local state clinics and hospitals struggle with limited resources to provide care to a population rife with poverty and AIDS.