The potential geographical accessibility to public hospitals for the population in bucharest’ proximity

Abstract

Access to health services is essential for ensuring a fundamental human right: the right to health care. Traditional accessibility methods do not consider traffic changes and possible infrastructure works and do not always reflect the actual travel time to the nearest hospital. This study tries to measure the potential access to hospitals of the population from the proximity of Bucharest, an area overlapping Ilfov County, using API (Application Program Interface). Two scenarios were considered. The first represents accessibility in the morning, an interval with heavy traffic, and the second represents accessibility in the evening, an interval without heavy traffic. The results confirm that Ilfov County has good accessibility to public hospitals, with over 60% of the population travelling less than 30 minutes to the nearest hospital. The proximity of Bucharest makes it possible for residents to access hospitals in that area quickly. The findings provide a scientific basis for local authorities to optimize access to hospitals and planning resources.