The development of rural areas is of particular interest to the European Union and the countries aspiring to membership.
Speakers:
Dr Veronika Rasic (World Health Organization, consultant for Rural Health Equity) pointed out the basic problems in health care in rural areas: availability, quality, and reduction in the number of health workers. She introduced the participants to the WHO guideline on health workforce development, attraction, recruitment and retention in rural and remote areas (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240024229 ).
Inés Fernández García (Rural ocial care program, Navara, Spain) presented a project whose main aim was to improve social and health services in rural areas for vulnerable persons (children with special needs, the elderly and people with disabilities), which is a particularly sensitive issue. The project showed that these people do not necessarily need to be placed in special institutions, but can be successfully cared for in their own homes.
Juliette VAS (Gérontopôle Nouvelle-Aquitaine) introduced the participants to the results of the CARES – Remote Healthcare for Silver Europe project (https://www.interregeurope.eu/cares ).
During the implementation of the project in Serbia, part of the research included the evaluation of the quality of health care in rural areas by the local residents. It was important to review the results of similar research and suggestions for improvement – which were presented during the workshop.
Project manager Prof. Dr. Mirjana Radovanović presented the project and participated in the discussion.
Participants:
Educons University in Sremska Kamenica, Serbia
Centre for Rural Medicine in Storuman, Sweden
Regional Center for Social Policy Torun, Poland
Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, Estonia
Aragon Health Dep. Spain
Platform against Loneliness, Austria
Pannon Business Network, Hungary
ME “Volodymyr territorial medical association” Ukraine
Systemic design Lab at the Politecnico di Torino, Italy
HealthCare Campus/ Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Bavaria
R&D Centre in care, social care and social work in Linkoping
City of Aalst, Belgium
Réka Torma – Somogy County Government Office, Kaposvár, Hungary
The Office of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Warsaw, Poland
