4.2 Strategies to provide appropriate
practice and skills mix
The role of the rural doctor is wide and varied but
encompasses a range of skills in the areas of primary health care, public
health, clinical practice (including advanced skills) and community development.
Doctors working in rural areas need this broad range of skills and may need
extra skills in particular areas to meet the needs of the particular community
in which they work
4.2.1 Policies should be adapted to the specific circumstances
of each region or country and be appropriate to the community, ensuring a mix
of primary health care, preventive health, public health, clinical practice,
community development, rehabilitation and consideration of environmental issues
4.2.2 Policies should seek to address the specific
rural problems of:
- Maintaining the elderly in rural
areas, with the respect they deserve
- Cultural awareness
- Educating medical students, resident
trainees and practising doctors in the culture of their community
- Educating communities on the culture
of the doctors they are recruiting, with encouragement to welcome and integrate
these doctors
- Providing palliative care with
adequate resources, training and lay support groups
4.2.3 Specific strategies to deal with disability in rural
areas should include
- Advocacy on behalf of the rural
disabled
- Collaborative research on disability
and ways to deal with it
- Creating awareness among rural
doctors about prevention and management of disability
- Include rehabilitation in undergraduate
and postgraduate rural doctor training
- Encourage families and other resource
personnel to assist disabled people
- Inclusion of rehabilitation at
WONCA rural conferences
- Inviting disabled people to address
WONCA rural conferences regarding their disability