Lack of Medical Resources in Rural Areas: Challenges and Aspirations

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One of the most significant challenges is the lack of medical resources, which can be attributes to
several factors such as economic, social, cultural, educational, isolation, and a lack of
recognition by legislators. The different challenge that leads to the lack of medical resources in
the rural areas includes:
i. Problems related to shortage of workforce in Australia due to which access to healthcare
is reduced, compared to urban areas.
ii. Socioeconomic Factors related to poverty and economic deprivation due to which
individuals from rural areas are not able to afford medical care
iii. Health Inequity is caused due to the higher risks of diseases and conditions affecting the
health of the rural population, compared to the urban population
iv. Distance, Transportation and geographic location due to the remoteness of the rural areas
also challenges the availability of medical resources and services and reduces the utilization
of these resources and the patients are less willing to travel over far distances for medical
checkups.
v. Access to service is also limited due to the lesser availability of services, lack of proximity
of service and lack of understanding on the health needs of the rural population
Challenges in Rural Areas
Health Discrepancies and Lack of Access in Rural Areas
Health Discrepancies (contd...)
The rural population in Australia is at higher risks of morbidity and mortality.
i. 54% of rural population have one or more chronic conditions, compared to 48% from major
cities
ii. The mortality rates are 1.3 times higher in remote and very remote rural areas compared to
major cities
iii. 1 in 5 people from rural areas are smokers
iv. 69% of rural population are either overweight or obese
v. Incidence of medical conditions (such as arthritis, back pain, asthma, COPD, blindness,
deafness, diabetes, CVD, Cancer, mental Health pproblems) are highest in the outer remote
areas, followed by inner regional areas compared to cities.
vi. Risk factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, excess alcohol consumption and
high blood pressure is also higher in rural population
vii. Access to service is the least in the most remote areas
viii. A deficit of nearly 2 Billion dollars for rural and remote healthcare
How can this problem be solved?
To ensure the health and wellbeing of the rural population, it is important to address the
disparities identified above to ensure better access to healthcare resources and services and
overcoming the challenges in the provision of care in these regions. The strategies that can be
used to that end can include:
i. Improving the staffing of healthcare professionals : this can reduce the shortage in
staffing in rural medical centers and improve access to care by the rural population
ii. Increasing access to healthcare service by integrating telehealth services which will
allow patients to call for medical assistance and guidance without having to travel to medical
centers which are located far away
iii. Addressing the social determinants of health this will help to reduce the inequity in health
and wellbeing of the rural population compared to the urban population
iv. Improving education and employment in rural areas this can help in the creation of more
skilled healthcare taskforce and thus address the staffing shortage
Refertences
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https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-statistics/population-groups/rural-remote-australians/overview
Bradford, N. K., Caffery, L. J., & Smith, A. C. (2016). Telehealth services in rural and remote Australia: a
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Humphreys, J., Lyle, D., & Barlow, V. (2018). University Departments of Rural Health: is a national network of
multidisciplinary academic departments in Australia making a difference. Rural and Remote Health, 18, 4315.
Marmot, M., & Allen, J. J. (2014). Social determinants of health equity.
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(2015). Research partnerships with healthcare providers in rural community health centers: Needs and
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ruralhealthinfo.org., (2018) Healthcare Access, retrieved on July 7, 2018, from:
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-access
Thomas, S. L., Wakerman, J., & Humphreys, J. S. (2015). Ensuring equity of access to primary health care in
rural and remote Australia-what core services should be locally available?. International journal for equity in
health, 14(1), 111.
Wakerman, J. (2018). Access & equity in the provision of primary health care services in rural and remote
Australia.
Due to the factors mentioned above, significant health discrepancy exists between the health of
the rural and urban populations.
What adds to the lack of medical resources and how such condition can be improved
Challenges and Aspirations
Lack Of Medical Resources in Rural Areas