The practice of primary health care: a case study

This paper focuses on the practice of Primary Health Care in Soweto. It does so through an investigation into the work of a group of Primary Health Care Nurses (PHCNs) who are based in Community Health Care Centres in Soweto. This paper highlights the conflictual and contradictory conditions under which the Primary Health Care Nurses are working and further documents gaps and weaknesses in the practice and training of PHCNs. The paper argues that a central weakness is the apparent lack of social awareness and gender sensitivity amongst the group of Primary Health Care Nurses studied.