Characterization of recipients & utilization of a primary health care complex in Bangladesh
Hussain, A.M.; Choudhry, Z.A.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 85: 706-713
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 3500123 Document Number: 290230
A prototype health complex (primary health care establishment in rural areas of Bangladesh) was chosen for studying the characteristics of the health service recipients who attend these health complexes, their disease patterns and their service utilization patterns to delineate the type of services that are most important in these health complexes. The study included 500 individuals to whom an on the spot questionnaire was administered by an outsider with sufficient knowledge of a health complex. Response rate was 100 percent, except on the matter of weaknesses in the system. Utilization pattern was found to be skewed in favour of male adults specially from a better economic background. Utilization rate also depended on the distance of a patient's house from the health complex, availability of free medicine and to a lesser extent, on free consultations. Overall attitude of the patients towards the providers was satisfactory. The recipients had poor knowledge of the preventive services. Skin, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections were the most common forms of ailment. Additional data available from some previous years revealed the perennial picture prevailing in a primary health care establishment.