The Challenge of Health Services for the Poor

Abstract

The health levels of the poor are depressed not only because of inadequate health services but also because of problems associated with poverty. Although health services often do not deal with the causes of illness, they can make an important contribution. Many changes are required to restruc ture the service delivery systems which do not respond to the needs of the poor and the ill. The large supply of interns and resident physicians offers an interim resource for reducing the problems of over-specialization. Moreover, it is essential that restructuring of the system take place before large amounts of funds are infused, if inflation and quality deterioration are to be avoided.