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Utilization of Health Services at Public and Private Facilities in India


Affiliations
1 Department of Economics, Government Arts College for Men (Autonomous), Nandanam, Chennai – 600 035. Tamil Nadu, India
 

Utilization of health services depends on the availability of health care facilities and on the ability of the individual to access the type of resources. A study of the total use of health care services, both in the public and private sectors, would help us to understand the equity of overall access to health care. Further, in response to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there has been a substantial increase in research concerning health inequalities and in particular choice of health care providers. This study mainly focuses on the share of public providers in treatment of ailment with the help of 71st National Sample Survey data. An attempt has been made to study cost of treatment in different types of hospital for each broad ailment category. This paper also deals with place of childbirth and expenditure incurred per childbirth at public and private source. Analysis based on quantitative data reveals that private sector is the most important source of treatment in rural as well as urban areas and medical expenditure from a public hospital is much lower than the private sector hospital. Findings of the study would be useful to design policy initiatives so that barriers of access to healthcare can be removed.

Keywords

Health, Public, Private, Expenditure.
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  • Utilization of Health Services at Public and Private Facilities in India

Abstract Views: 131  |  PDF Views: 71

Authors

J. V. Arun
Department of Economics, Government Arts College for Men (Autonomous), Nandanam, Chennai – 600 035. Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


Utilization of health services depends on the availability of health care facilities and on the ability of the individual to access the type of resources. A study of the total use of health care services, both in the public and private sectors, would help us to understand the equity of overall access to health care. Further, in response to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there has been a substantial increase in research concerning health inequalities and in particular choice of health care providers. This study mainly focuses on the share of public providers in treatment of ailment with the help of 71st National Sample Survey data. An attempt has been made to study cost of treatment in different types of hospital for each broad ailment category. This paper also deals with place of childbirth and expenditure incurred per childbirth at public and private source. Analysis based on quantitative data reveals that private sector is the most important source of treatment in rural as well as urban areas and medical expenditure from a public hospital is much lower than the private sector hospital. Findings of the study would be useful to design policy initiatives so that barriers of access to healthcare can be removed.

Keywords


Health, Public, Private, Expenditure.

References