Vol. 5 No. 1 (2021)
Articles

Accessibility and Utilization of Healthcare System at Upgraded Primary Health Centres, Namakkal District, TamilNadu State

Published 2021-07-13

Abstract

Health comprises many aspects which highlight hygienic, healthy and good life expectancy. Human capital is a mechanism which expresses the better living condition and healthy atmosphere. The major difference between demand and supply of an effective utilization of healthcare services offered by the state government hospitals, PHCs, HSCs and District Head Quarters hospitals assumes a greater significance as those who use are mostly from vulnerable group of the society. Hence, the problems of accessibility and utilization of such healthcare facilities assumes importance. To assess the accessing and utilization pattern, a field study conducted in villages coming under three upgraded PHCs in Namakkal District, TamilNadu State covered 281 patients. It was observed that most of the cases were treated in maternity and child healthcare wards. Another group of out-patients were treated for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. As a result, the physical accessibility, people from 35 Km radius are using the services and reach the PHCs through government buses. Out of three upgraded PHCs (Namagiripet, Pillanallur and Olapatti Sowdapuram) selected in Namakkal district, O.Sowdapuram is not having sufficient transport facilities for the people to reach the PHC and remaining two PHCs have adequate transport facilities.

In the case of providing healthcare facilities at the Namagiripet Upgraded PHC are relatively better with special care units like Dental, Radiographer, Blood Bank, Operation Theatre and a DGO specialist doctor. However, these kinds of facilities were missing in Pillanallur and O.Sowdapuram PHCs. The selected patients highly demanded that the healthcare infrastructure has not been adequate and quality of healthcare services has to be improved.