The Gynae Gap: Addressing Disparities in Women’s Health Care Access in Makhanda

There’s a troubling gap in women’s healthcare in the quaint town of Makhanda. Imagine living in a place where yearly gynaecological exams, which are essential to women’s health, are considered an unattainable luxury. Despite its charm and sense of community, Makhanda surprisingly does not have a permanent gynaecologist, which puts local women in an unimaginably difficult situation. This article explores my search for solutions after realizing how serious the issue was. Through the interview I conducted with a medical professional in Makhanda, I learned the reasoning behind Grahamstown’s lack of gynaecologists and how it directly affects the well-being and medical treatment of the town’s female residents.

Retha Mphatsoe, from Bergville in KZN, currently studying for a BA Degree at Rhodes University, tells us about her experience. Her story highlights the difficulties people in Makhanda encounter while seeking gynaecological care. People seeking specialised medical attention face substantial obstacles due to a lack of resources and a need for gynaecologists.

“All the appointments that I’ve had after the referral appointment, I had to book them myself, and it’s very difficult,” she says. But even with a reference, getting an appointment and timely consultation is still challenging because of the high demand and the specialist’s limited availability. Securing timely care is made more difficult by the backlog of patients, which includes pregnant women and individuals with a variety of gynaecological issues. Retha acknowledges that she is lucky to have a GP referral; without it, getting timely care would have been nearly impossible.

A person may need surgery or immediate medical attention for several reasons after seeing a gynaecologist. Situations such as excruciating pelvic pain, burst ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancies, or pregnancy-related complications such as placental problems or fetal distress may require emergency care. Emergency surgical procedures may also be necessary for gynaecological emergencies, such as heavy or continuous bleeding, infections, or problems involving the reproductive organs, such as ovarian torsion or uterine fibroids, to treat symptoms, avoid complications, or protect the patient’s health and well-being. These circumstances underscore the severe nature of some gynecological issues that call for immediate medical treatment and maybe surgical intervention. They frequently call for an early diagnosis and quick action to address the underlying problems.

Some of the explanations for the lack of gynaecological care in small towns, such as Makhanda, were provided by Dr. Odendaal, who works at Dr. Oosthuizen’s practice at Peppergrove Mall. She said, “Gynaecologists charge more, and some things we can’t handle at a regular doctor’s office.” It is, therefore, difficult for gynaecologists to practice in smaller towns due to the expense and the fact that not all problems require a specialist. Furthermore, locating specialists in smaller communities might be challenging because most doctors choose to live in large cities.

“On a weekly basis, I refer someone to a gynaecologist, and for instance, we cannot do any obstetrics here anymore,” said Dr. Odendaal, highlighting the challenges in delivering complete care. This highlights the difficulties medical facilities encounter in smaller towns, where specific specialised treatments, such as obstetrics for pregnant women, are no longer provided because of the prohibitive insurance prices. Current regulations prohibit general practitioners from offering obstetric care, unlike past practices. This illustrates how the healthcare system is changing and affects accessible services in these areas.

Dr. Odendaal explained that seeing a specialist is difficult since “the costs for appointments and travel add up.” It’s about more than just paying for the visit; other costs, such as travel and accommodation, are not covered by medical aid. This makes it extremely difficult for women in small towns who require specialised gynaecological care, demonstrating how money can be a major barrier when they must go outside their area for healthcare.

Retha’s situation serves as a reminder of when urgency is necessary. Not many people are lucky enough to secure a referral and have their needs about their health met immediately. Retha’s circumstance highlighted Makhanda’s inability to deal with the critical conditions that residents might find themselves in, seeing as Retha herself needed to receive surgery. Furthermore, more assistance was required for Retha on how she was to secure the necessary funds to travel to the hospital and pay for her stay there in Port Elizabeth. This demonstrates the gravity of the situation and the extent to which people will go to get the care they need.

In the end, she had a good recovery thanks to a successful operation. Retha’s experience, however, highlights the systemic problems with Makhanda’s gynaecological healthcare accessibility, underscoring the need for more funding, gynaecologists, and upgraded facilities to meet the community’s urgent medical needs.