Access to Public Health Care System: A Study of Primary Health Care in Delhi

Background: The Primary Health Care System plays a critical role in providing basic healthcare and given the skewed quality services, it is imperative that a robust healthcare system is in place. The primary objective of the study is to examine the access to primary health care system in Delhi NCR. Material & Methods: A household survey was conducted to identify the weaknesses in the primary healthcare setup, covering 156 households comprising of 800 members across Delhi. A detailed analysis of access to health services was carried out. Statistical analysis used: simple graphs and tables Results: The average health expenditure is close to one-fourth of income, primarily on medicines. The marginalised sections access government and free primary health centres while 60% of upper middle class access private care. The gender bias is observed in the provision of quality health care. For major ailments, households irrespective of social group, caste or gender, access private health facilities. Conclusions: Discrimination on the basis of social grouping is on a limited scale but economic factors play a crucial role in access to quality health care. To mitigate health disparities, benefits through medical cards to the disadvantaged sections including women, poor and Dalits must be offered.