Removal of Users Fee and Utilization of Health Services in Rapakot VDC Syangja

Abstract

This"Removal of Users Fee and Utilization of Health Services in Rapakot VDC Syangja" is mainly based on primary data collection from ward no.5 and 9 of Rapakot VDC. The data were obtained through semi-structured interview and field observation. By using purposive sampling altogether 128 respondents from both wards were taken for this research purpose.The main priority was given respondent from families who have recently visited sub-health post for health service.The main objectives of the study are to assess the access and quality of health care services delivered by sub-health post after user fee removal in Rapakot VDC. The data shows that study area is ethnically diversified.Education status of the study area is satisfactory. In relation to family structure both nuclear and joint types of families were found there. Most of the respondents are aware about free health services delivered from sub-health post but there are still few respondents who were unaware of this facility.Majority of the respondents were satisfied with the services but a remarkable percentage (40%) of the respondents were not satisfied from the health services of sub-health post. There was significant variation between two wards (5 and 9) in terms of receiving services from sub-health post. In general, 39.1 percentages report sub-health post as first choice of health facility for the treatment.But there were only few (3.2%) from ward no 5 whereas most(73.8%) of the respondents from ward number 9 go to sub-health post as their first choice of health facility. Distance was found as the main factor for this variation. Regardless of the removal of the user fees, factors like distance, lack of good medicine and proper counseling and lack of qualified service provider affected the utilization of the services in the sub-health post in Rapakot. These need to be addressed to increase utilization.Respondents’ views were largely positive about the quality of the services such as drug availability and behavior of health worker.But observation showed hygiene and sanitary condition, waiting area, communication of service provider and users were the remarkable quality issues in the sub health post. These factors also affect the utilization of the healthcare services the study area.