Volume-X, Issue-VI, November 2024 |
Status of Inclusive Healthcare Infrastructure in Uttarakhand Dr. Thakur Dev Pandey, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, HNB Garhwal University (A Central University, Srinagar (Garhwal) Uttarakhand, India Dr. Chandra Shekhar, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, HNB Garhwal University (A Central University, Srinagar (Garhwal) Uttarakhand, India |
Received: 04.10.2024 | Accepted: 15.10.2024 | Published Online: 30.11.2024 | Page No: 141-149 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.10.issue.06W.015 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
This study explores the status of healthcare infrastructure in Uttarakhand, analyzing the availability, distribution, and disparities in healthcare access across rural and urban regions, as well as between hilly and plain districts. The findings reveal both shortfalls and surpluses in rural areas. While there is a 9.68% shortfall in Community Health Centers (CHCs), indicating a need for expansion of critical care services, there is a 2.39% surplus in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and a 21.39% surplus in subcenters, though functionality and staffing challenges persist. Urban areas show a substantial 51.28% shortfall in PHCs, highlighting an urgent need for infrastructure expansion because of growing population demands. The study further uncovers significant disparities between hill and plain districts. Hill districts have better accessibility to health centers per capita, while plain districts, with fewer facilities per 1,000 people, benefit from a concentration of advanced medical institutions and specialists. To achieve inclusive healthcare, it is essential to address the imbalance of specialists in hill districts and improve services in underserved areas. Overall, while Uttarakhand has made progress in developing its healthcare network, further investment is needed to ensure that healthcare services are comprehensive, equitable, and accessible to all residents. Keywords: Uttarakhand, Healthcare, Rural-Urban, Hill-Plain. |