Problems Faced by Missionaries in Provision of Health Services in East Africa
- They faced a problem of inadequate finances to buy the healthy equipment needed for the provision of quality health services.
- They also had a problem of limited number of workers to work as doctors and nurses yet the number of patients was too big.
- They faced a challenge of inadequate medical facilities like laboratory equipment which were very few in their health institutions.
- They had shortage of medicine and delayed supply of medical facilities from Britain.
- They had a problem of Africans who strongly believed in their African medicine changing them to take western medicine was a big problem.
- Slave raids and its insecurity greatly affected the missionary work of treating sick in East Africa.
- They had a problem of tropical diseases like malaria which killed some of them while in East Africa. For example Dr. Albert cook died of malaria.
- There was lack of infrastructures inform of health centers like hospitals which also negatively affected the work of treating the sick.
- Many Africans had a negative attitude towards European medicine thinking that it was intended to cause more health problems to them.
- Poor roads in remote area were another problem. Missionaries could not reach out to the sick in some areas due to their remoteness.
- The strong African cultures, conservation and rigidities among Africans were all challenges to missionary doctors.
- The belief in the miraculous healing among African Christians also interfered with the missionary work of providing health services to Africans.
Questions:
- Explain the role of the missionaries in trying to provide medical services to the people of East Africa. (13marks)
- Discuss the obstacles the missionaries faced in their effort to provide medical services. (12 marks)