een antropologisch onderzoek naar de kortstondige inzet van ... - Nrc

Summary
This thesis is the outcome of an anthropological research on short term medical work of Dutch health
workers in developing countries, especially in Africa. During the last few months a lot of media attention
has gone towards the negative sides of this kind of work. I decided to research the topic by trying
to answer the following question: How do different people involved experience the short term work of
Dutch health workers in developing countries, especially in Africa? Research was carried out both in
Holland and Ghana. Data was collected through interviews, observations and (in)formal conversations.
The people involved were divided into three groups.
The first group consists of Dutch long term health workers who have worked in a developing
country for over a (ongoing) year. There is much diversity in the way Dutch long term health workers
speak about the work of short term health workers. Some of them are very sceptical for various reasons
such as their personal motives, their goal, attitude and way of working. Their most important concerns
are: inexperience with working in developing countries; lack of knowledge about the local situation,
language and habits; therefore inability to foresee possible risks; and not enough cooperation with the
local health workers. An argument in favor of the short term work in developing countries, reasoned
from the perspective of the developing countries, is that any help is needed as long as developing
countries have a shortage of health workers to provide health care to all inhabitants. Other arguments
in favor of short term work, seen from the perspective of the Dutch health workers, are the opportunity
to learn and possibly an increased interest in tropical medicine.
The second group consists of Dutch short term health workers who have worked in a developing
country for less than a (ongoing) year – often a few weeks, sometimes a few months. Contrary to what
many Dutch long term health workers believe, most Dutch short term health workers have previously
worked in a developing country. Some of them are well informed about the local situation, while
others have no idea. They are all badly informed by the organizations that send them out. Most of
them consider the impact of their work as nothing more than a drop in the ocean. The most important
reasons for them to go are adventure, curiosity, and solidarity. The reason for their short term stay is
solely practical: they cannot or do not want to leave their work or family for a longer period of time.
The third and last group consists of local health workers in Ghana working at hospitals visited by
Dutch health workers. The extent to which local health workers in Ghana appreciate the short term
work of foreign health workers is first of all determined by the extent to which they are informed about
the arrival of foreign health workers: the date of arrival, their number, qualifications and intentions.
Secondly, their appreciation is dependent on whether the foreign health workers communicate with
the local health workers during their stay. Sometimes there is hardly any communication between the
two groups. Not asking for or listening to the needs of the local hospitals leads to foreign health workers
working at hospitals while there is no real need for them, local health workers without motivation
to cooperate and hospital spending more money (on accommodation, transport and food for these
foreign health workers) than they can afford.
An anthropological analysis of the research data shows that the interpretations of the experiences
of the three groups of people involved are highly influenced by their situation and culture. Dutch
short term medical aid in developing countries can reach a major improvement by meeting both the
objections and suggestions of Dutch long term health workers and local health workers in developing,
ánd the needs of Dutch short term health workers. Probably the best method to do so, is to let local
health workers in developing countries decide what kind of short term aid is needed most. In this way,
problems caused by differences in situation and culture are less likely to evolve, because the Dutch
health workers are working within the framework of the local structure and culture.
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