Table 3 Key Theme: Experiences related to the health systems

Inaccessible Health facility

I brought my four years old child for TB treatment. Our village is far from this hospital and no health facility closer to my home than this. I pay 100 birr per day for motorcycle every morning to come here. I do not have the money to follow this for the whole six months. I want if the doctor tells me how to give the drugs to my child at home and give me his drugs … (P-15)

Public Health facilities

I informed the clinician all the history of my health problem, including treatments I sought. The clinician opted to decide the same way as that of the private clinic. I requested the clinician to check me for TB as I suspected myself of contracting it. He said, ‘I am the one to decide on what to do for patients; no patient urges me to do what the patient needs’. … He gave me some drugs and sent me out. … The disease went worse. I went back to the same hospital and directly went to the office of the CEO and told him all what has happened to me. The CEO advised me to go to same clinician after discussing with the clinician. … The diagnosis turned out to be MDR TB after about six months from the onset of sign and symptom … (P-9)

Private Health facilities

I went to a private clinic to seek care for loss of appetite, loss of weight and unusual night sweating, etc. They said, Your disease is ‘Qora’ meaning ‘cold’ and sent me home with a dozen of oral medications to be taken over a couple of weeks. I took the medications as per their advices but no improvement in my health condition even when I finish the drugs. I went back to the same clinic to inform them of the situation. This time, they changed the diagnosis to ‘Typhoid’ and gave me other types of oral drugs. After a week, I realized that my health is worsening and I went to a nearby hospital …. (P-7)