Utilization of public health services in a rural area and an urban slum in Western Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Background: An extensive primary health care system exists in India, yet it is inadequate in terms of coverage of the population, especially in rural areas, and gross underutilization. Assessment of the utilization of public health services is important for the health of a nation. Aims & Objective: To assess the utilization of public health services in a rural area and an urban slum in Maharashtra, India Material and Methods: A community based cross sectional study among 800 families, 400 each from a rural area and an urban slum in Karad, Maharashtra. Data was collected from the head of the families using a pretested questionnaire. Chi square test was applied to find any significant difference between the two areas in health seeking behaviour. Results: The utilization of public health services was very low in both the study areas and the main reason for nonutilization in rural area was because the centre took money for the services when it was supposed to be free and in the case of urban slum the centre was far away. Conclusion: The utilization of public health services is poor in both areas. It is important to revitalize the health system, encourage the utilization and provide better facilities for the health staff for effective delivery of service