On Perception And Public Health
I WISH to echo and support the deputy minister of health and social services, Petrina Haingura, who bemoaned the perception and attitudes of our public health workers.
Minister Haingura got it right to point out the paradox of the Namibian public health sector that (1) a change of mind, attitude and behaviour of health workers is necessary. But it goes further than this and should include (2) improvement in the supervision of health service delivery, (3) access to both resources and health services and (4) promotion of a sense of community and of good practice. The change of mind has to do with the change of perception which is defined as “the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted”.
Public workers, including nurses and doctors, are expected to change their thinking to align with the new challenges of a new nation and not to remain captives of their own perceptions which can determine and influence the realisation of national goals. This transformation requires a change of perception and attitudes which should be followed by equipping people with knowledge which they can use to act and behave differently and in accordance with national aspirations. This objective can be achieved partly through the effective use of health communication initiatives. Lack of vigorous use of health communication coupled with lack of effective communication skills by health professionals is one of such unexplained phenomena in many national health initiatives.
Perception must first be changed and should be followed by a desire to explore other alternatives to improve the effective delivery of health services by health workers. When this phase of our health service experience is reached, it can connect the present with the future. Although the creation of a health care system is predominantly a government task assisted by the private sector, the promotion of health and the change in perception and attitudes is the task of health communication professionals with management ensuring its practical implementation at all levels. This calls for the establishment of and promotion of an active cadre of health communication professionals within the ministry.
The study of perception shows that often what we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us and does influence behaviour. As Namibians, we are responsible for the best and worst happenings in our lives and those of others. Perception is a powerful instrument in interpreting reality. If the current management in the Ministry of Health and Social Services fails to change the perceptions of its health workers, we will have a repeat of past experience where members of the public seeking the professional services of both nurses and doctors lost their lives. There should be an intimate correlation of the mind and action because when the right perception and right action are sustained over a period of time, they could lead to commendable positive behaviour. Every thought entertained creates a future, what we think and the words we speak create our experience and connect the present with the future. And because it has tremendous impact on our future, changing perception must form part of management functions.
The delivery of efficient health services in Namibia needs proper supervision, the term defined as the critical watching and directing of activities whose components may include intervention, building relationships, monitoring and evaluation of activities. The lack thereof, as we have seen, heard and read in the media, leads to loss of human lives. There seems to be a critical need in the Namibian public health sector to foster and adopt practices of a professional nature. Supervisors must ensure that work is not only done but is well done and up to standard. Because perception drives performance, it also calls for investment and training in changing the current perception, attitudes and behaviour of both doctors and nurses. Supervisors should promote and maintain good standards of work, team building that can lead to motivated employees and the coordination of the community of practice for the assurance of an efficient and smooth-running public health service.
Fred J Mwilima
University of Namibia
Windhoek