Public health nurses deliver health care to people in every village free of charge. Medical teams will visit throughout the island for specific purposes, such as immunizations or checkups for seniors. People with acute medical problems or emergencies, and those needing routine health visits see the doctor at the medical center clinic. Midwives are commonly used in Samoa for childbirth, although now the midwife has to be licensed by the government and work at a hospital. Since Samoa is small compared to the United States, patients get to know the medical personnel.
Patients treat medical personnel with respect and are treated likewise.
Patients are used to having a friendly and trusting relationship with health care providers. Traditional healing Before Christianity came to Samoa, Samoans believed in several gods. The gods were thought to bring affliction or tragedy upon people who would not live according to their wishes. Samoans also believed in ghosts who could bring turmoil and tragedy upon an individual, family or people. Even now, many Samoans believe that a curse or punishment in the form of a disease can come upon a family for an ungodly way of living.