1.0 INTRODUCTION
Health is the
level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a living being. In human, it is
the general condition of a person in mind, body and spirit, usually to being
from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”).
The
World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as
“a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity. Although this definition has been subjected to
controversy, in particular as having a lack of operational value and the
problem created by use of the word “complete”
Classification
systems such as the WHO family of international classification, which is
composed of the international classification of functioning, disability and
health (ICF) and the international classification of disease (ICD) are commonly
used to defined and measure the components of health.
The
maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through different combination
of physical, mental and social well being together sometimes referred to as the
“Health Triangle” the WHO’s 1986 Ottawa charter for health promotion furthered
that health is not just a state but also “a resource for everyday life”, not
the objective of living but health is a positive concept emphasizing social and
personal resources, as well as physical capacities.
Health
is also the condition of organism which measures the degree of which its power
are able to function properly. However, health is the quality of life that
enable the individual to live best and to discharged his daily activities.
The
term “healthy” is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living
organization and their imparts for the benefit of human, such as in the sense
of healthy communities, healthy cities or healthy cities or healthy
environment. In addition to health care interventions and a person’s
surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence the health.
Status of individuals including their backgrounds, lifestyle and economic and
social conditions, these are refers to as, Determinant of health.
1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE HEALTH
CENTRE
The
interview carried out by the researcher with the chief nurse “Mrs. Oshinowo” of
health centre reviews that Health centre was established in 1985 as sick bay
for treatment of minor illness of students and staff of the institution. It was
then run by a nurse Mrs. Siwoku and some assistant nurse.
At
1988, a senior officer joined her in services as a result of increased in
number of students. After some time, they employed a part-time doctor who comes
from Ibadan, nurse, typist, messenger and attendants.
The
health centre works for six days i.e. Monday to Saturday with shift duty of
morning and afternoon. They opens between the hours of 8am – 6pm daily
excluding the public.
It
was later commissioned on Friday 15th July 2005 by Engr. Akin
Adetunji, Chairman Governing Council the Polytechnic Ibadan to commemorate the
maiden visit of the council of this campus.
At
registration time fresh students are expected to go therefore for their medical
test which include X-ray, visibility test i.e. eye test, blood pressure, urine
test etc. in which health centre card were given to them to bring along when
going there for treatment.
All these opportunities do not left
out part-time students as well as staff both teaching and non-teaching which
they are given chance to brought their spouse and four children for treatment.
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
aims of the study is to examine the health seeking behavior of the students in
a non residential tertiary institution, their perception towards the school
health scare centre and service delivery by the medical personnel and the
alternative medicine available for the students. Therefore the specific
objectives include:-
1.
The need to find where and how students
seek for treatment when they fall sick.
2.
Perception of students about the health
centre in the situation as regarded the availabilities of drugs and treatment.
3.
The confidence and trust in the ability
of the medical personnel on ground.
4.
To know the regularities or otherwise of
the students in the institution under study in visiting the health centre for
treatment.
5.
The attitude, perception and knowledge
of students about alternative medicine.
6.
To test for the independence of the
data.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
research will study the various ways in which patients who are students in
higher institutions in a non residential school of learning go on with their
health seeking behavior, it will also examine how and where they seek for
medical treatment, the ability of the various health cares in the environment
to cater for medical needs of patients and the ability of medical personnel in
providing medical treatment.
The
study will also examine how regular the patient visits the health centre for
treatment.
1.4 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The
issue of health is wide and all encompassing, the study will limit itself to
the health seeking behavior of patients who are students in tertiary
institution. Also it is only the health centre in the Polytechnic Ibadan AOCE
that will be studied, other non-residential tertiary institutions are not
covered because of time and financial constraints.
It
should also be noted that the study will cover only the studentship period of
the patient and exclude those of the time he/she stayed off school as when on
holidays or on industrial training period.
Moreover,
the study does not cover environmental factors as it affect the health seeking
behavior of the patients (student). There are still needs to look at
environmental factors, personal hygiene, the life style and the genetic of the
respondents as it affect their health. These and other issue could be taken up
in the future for further study.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
There
are many aspects of the health care industry that can benefit from health care
consulting. This can vary from medical billing to materials management. Health
care providers are not only in the business of caring for patients (students)
by they are also in the business for making money. Having said that its not
always about money. A health care management team can improve the way things
are done as well.
Health
care centre is incredibly diverse with so many parts all coming together in one
way or another. Running things smoothly and successfully is not always an easy
thing to do. While some facilities manage it, others struggle. This is where
health care consulting can come in and work together with a health care
facility to improve every face of its daily affairs.
1.6 DEFINITION OF SOME BASIC TERMS
Health: Health is a state of complete
physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.
Health Behaviour: This is defined as the
activity undertaken by people for the purpose of maintaining or enhancing their
health, preventing health problem, or achieving a positive body image.
Health Centre: A health centre is a
building in which a group of doctors have offices or surgeries where the
patients can visit them.
Self medication: This is a human
behavior in which an individual usues a substance or any exogenous influence to
self-administer treatment for physical or
psychological ailments.
Herbs: Herbs generally refers to the
leafy green or flowering parts of a plant leather fresh or dried.
Illness: illness is defined in insider
cultural terms as the inability to function well in a society, the individual
does not feel well and cannot function as usual.
Disease: Disease is an undesirable and
abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of part or
all of an organism, and that is not due to any external injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment