Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the relevance of Pastoral Caregivers (PCGs) in the Nigerian hospital
context from a pastoral theological perspective. It argues that illness is a reality that confronts
all humanity at certain times. It brings untold pain and suffering to the afflicted, physically,
emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. As such, wholeness and health are some of the
most important concerns of Nigerians and the global community as demonstrated by the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations (UN). The Nigerian quest for
wholeness is a search for meaning, significance, and purpose in life especially in illness, pain
and suffering. This search involves questions about God’s involvement in suffering. For this
reason, illness comprises a complex reality that defies easy remedy. However, affected
persons often seek remedy in the hospital. But research shows that the medical model, despite
its benefits, has limited capacity to fulfil the human quest for meaning. Also, the Draft Health
Policy for Nigeria (DHPN) (2005:np) and National Strategic Health Development Plan
(NSHDP) 2010-2015 (2010:5) has also stated that the health system of Nigeria is poor and
Nigeria is not “on track towards significant improvement in meeting the health expectation
of its people inclusive of achieving the health MDGs” (NSHDP 2010:10). However, the
NSHDP 2010-2015 (2010:11) has also stated that a purposeful reform of the national
healthcare delivery system is necessary for strengthening the weak and fragile national health
delivery system and improving its performance towards achieving quality caregiving and
quality of life. In line with these Ministry of Health reform plans, this study argues that such
healthcare reforms should necessarily include pastoral caregivers (PCGs) as valuable and a
necessary human resource for health, partnership for health and research. Religion and
spirituality (the domain of pastoral care) have been put forward as best responding to many
people’s quest for meaning. Consequently, this research has employed a practical theological methodology. Within this
methodology a postfoundationalist paradigm according to Park (2010) has been utilised. In
this regard, the structure of the chapters is aligned with the four tasks of practical theology as
proposed by Osmer (2008). It further utilised relevant literature in the fields of theology,
medicine and other social sciences from within Nigeria, Africa and beyond. It has been
argued that the absence of meaningful pastoral care dimension is a significant weakness of
the medical model as practised in Nigeria. It is inconsistent with the promotion of the health
of patients and the community which the Nigerian Code of Medical Ethics (2004) articulates as the goal of medicine in Nigeria. It is also inconsistent with the holistic view of Nigerians
on illness. Additionally, it is not consistent with the National Policy on Private Partnership
for Health in Nigeria (NPPPHN) (2005) declaration that “alternative health providers, whose
practices are of proven value, shall be encouraged and supported as frontline of health care
provision for many people”. As the above Nigerian policies on health suggest – and this is
also the position of this study – illness demands a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to
combat it. This study has established that pastoral care embodies a vision of wholeness which
resonates with the Nigerian holistic view of life whose practices are of proven value.
Therefore, the inclusion of the PCG with a holistic theological approach into Nigerian
hospital care could contribute to holistic and quality care of patients in hospitals. They could
contribute towards the implantation of the NSHDP 2010-2015.
This study is strongly motivated by the fact that human beings are made in the image of God
and deserve love, respect for their values and desires, and dignity especially in the face of
illness and suffering. Therefore, it recommends that hospitals and clinics in Nigeria should of
necessity include PCGs in their hospitals and on their clinical team, as well as provide basic
training for all members of the medical team in the pastoral assessment of patients. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die relevansie van pastorale versorgers (PV’s) in die Nigeriese
hospitaalkonteks vanuit ’n pastoraal-teologiese perspektief. Daar word geargumenteer dat
siekte ’n realiteit is wat die hele mensdom op bepaalde tye affekteer. Dit veroorsaak
ongekende pyn en lyding vir die sieke, hetsy fisies, emosioneel, sielkundig of geestelik.
Gevolglik is heelheid en gesondheid van die belangrikste oorwegings vir Nigeriërs, asook die
globale gemeenskap, soos duidelik blyk uit die Verenigde Nasies se Millenniumontwikkelingsdoelwitte.
Die Nigeriese strewe na heelheid is ’n soeke na betekenis,
belangrikheid en sin in die lewe, veral in tye van siekte, pyn en lyding. Hierdie soeke betrek
ook vrae oor God se rol in lyding. Om hierdie rede behels siekte ’n komplekse realiteit
waarvoor daar geen maklike oplossing is nie. Siekes soek egter oplossings in die hospitaal.
Navorsing bewys desnieteenstaande dat die mediese model, ten spyte van die voordele
daarvan, beperkte kapasiteit het om die menslike soeke na betekenis te vervul. Nigerië se
konsep-gesondheidsbeleid, die Draft Health Policy for Nigeria, of DHPN, (2005) en
strategiese gesondheidsontwikkelingsplan, die National Strategic Health Development Plan,
of NSHDP 2010-2015, (2010:5) stel dit verder dat die gesondheidstelsel in Nigerië swak is en
dat die land nie op koers is na beduidende verbeterings in die voldoening aan die
gesondheidsvereistes van sy mense gedagtig aan die gesondheidsbepalings van die
Millennium-ontwikkelingsdoelwitte nie (NSHDP 2010:10). Die NSHDP 2010-2015
(2010:11) stel dit ook dat ’n doelmatige hervorming van die nasionale
gesondheidsorgvoorsieningstelsel nodig is om die swak en breekbare nasionale
gesondheidsvoorsieningstelsel te versterk en die werking daarvan te verbeter ten einde
gehaltesorg en lewensgehalte te verseker. In lyn met die hervormingsplanne van die
gesondheidsministerie, stel hierdie studie dit dat sodanige gesondheidsorghervormings
noodwendig PV’s moet insluit as waardevolle en noodsaaklike menslike hulpbron vir
gesondheid en vennootskap vir gesondheid en navorsing. Religie en spiritualiteit (die domein
van pastorale sorg) is al gestel as uiters geskikte respons op mense se soeke na betekenis. Gevolglik het die navorsing ’n praktiese teologiese metodologie gebruik. Binne hierdie
metodologie is gebruik gemaak van ’n post-fondamentalistiese paradigma volgens Park
(2010). In hierdie verband is die struktuur van die hoofstukke belyn met die vier take van
praktiese teologie soos voorgestel deur Osmer (2009). Verder word gebruik gemaak van
relevante literatuur in die teologie, mediese wetenskap en sosiale wetenskappe van binne
Nigerië, Afrika en verder. Dit word gestel dat die afwesigheid van ’n betekenisvolle pastoralesorgdimensie ’n beduidende swakheid is van die heersende mediese model wat in
Nigerië geld. Dit is nie in pas met die bevordering van die gesondheid van pasiënte en die
gemeenskap wat gestel word as die doel van die mediese wetenskap in Nigerië volgens die
Nigeriese kode vir mediese etiek (2004) nie. Dit is ook nie in pas met Nigeriërs se holistiese
beskouing van siekte nie. Verder is dit nie in pas met die nasionale beleid oor privaat
gesonheidsvennootskappe in Nigerië, die National Policy on Private Partnership for Health in
Nigeria, of NPPPHN (2005) nie, waarin dit gestel word dat alternatiewe
gesondheidsverskaffers wie se praktyke as waardevol bewys is, aangemoedig en ondersteun
sal word as voorste linie van gesondheidsorgverskaffing aan baie mense. Soos die
bogenoemde Nigeriese beleide oor gesondheid voorhou – en dit is ook die posisie van hierdie
studie – vereis siekte ’n holistiese en multidissiplinêre benadering om dit te beveg. Hierdie
studie het bevestig dat pastorale sorg ’n visie van heelheid vergestalt wat resoneer met die
Nigeriese holistiese siening van die lewe, waarvan die praktyke se waarde reeds bewys is.
Die insluiting van die PV met ’n holistiese teologiese benadering by Nigeriese hospitaalsorg
kan bydra tot holistiese en gehaltesorg vir pasiënte in hospitale. Dit kan bydra tot die
vestiging van die NSHDP 2010-2015.
Die studie word sterk gemotiveer deur die feit dat mense in die beeld van God gemaak is en
liefde, respek vir hulle waardes en behoeftes en waardigheid verdien, veral in die aangesig
van siekte en lyding. Hier word dus voorgestel dat hospitale en klinieke in Nigerië
noodwendig PV’s in hulle hospitale en by hulle kliniese spanne moet insluit, en verder
basiese opleiding in die pastorale assessering van pasiënte vir alle lede van die mediese span
moet verskaf.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85735 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Agbiji, Emem Obaji |
| Contributors | Thesnaar, Christo, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xix, 415 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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