ABSTRACT
The difficulties of providing adequate and effective health care for communities are common to many countries including those in South-East Asia. In remote communities, these difficulties will be confounded by the sparsity and relative poverty of the population, the shortage of health workers, geographic and/or climatic extremes, inadequate communications systems and the lack of reliable transport facilities. Where funds for health-care services are limited, it becomes essential to ensure that they are spent appropriately. In many of the countries in the region there are well entrenched and respected traditional health workers and healers. The doctor plays a pivotal role in the health care scenario in South-east Asia and for the majority of people he is the primary source of medical information and treatment. Health care is offered as a service to individuals in the community. Consumers may avail themselves of the service as they wish, but even after they have sought help they may not follow the treatment offered.
