Dengue Fever
The patient in the current case study lives on the Kenyan Coast and suffers from Dengue fever. Due to the warm climate in that region, mosquitoes, which are the main transmitters of the fever, are prevalent.
The region has health centers, but those that cannot be trusted in the accurate diagnosis and cure of the fever. Normally, when a patient is diagnosed with the fever, he or she is only given medication to ease symptoms such as migraines that are associated with the disease (White, 2004). In the case where the patient can access good medical attention, they are forced to pay huge amounts of money for treatment.
In Mombasa, Kenya, where the disease is most prevalent, the hospital that offers good medical attention is The Mombasa Hospital. In a case where a patient is being transported from a remote area, an ambulance from the hospital is used. While being transferred to hospital, a specialist will attempt to lower the fever, and reduce the pain accompanying the disease. Once in the hospital, the patient may be put under drip treatment to recover lost body fluids. In its treatment, a physician should avoid aspirin, and instead use paracetamol.
The patient could use a Health Maintenance Organization as an insurance plan. With this, they are likely to pay less but are limited to the healthcare centers to choose from (Burton & Ludwig, 2014). They could alternatively use a Preferred Provider Organization where they can choose the health care provider they want, but may encounter higher costs.
The major issue of accessing treatment in this area is the fact that accessing medical care is slow. Often, it happens if a person is in a remote area. Additionally, due to the prevalent cases of poverty, diagnosis via advanced apparatus is barely affordable. This situation leaves the poor prone to death while the rich can easily access medical care. Generally, the quality of medical care offered is critically low, unless one is rich.
References
Burton, M., & Ludwig, L. J. M. (2014). Fundamentals of nursing care: Concepts, connections
& skills. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.
White, K. (2004). Dengue fever. New York: Rosen Pub. Group.
