Assessment

Research Proposal

Executive Summary

The research proposal will focus on exploring the opinions medical health workers of Banaskantha district, located in Gujarat, India, about the health services available in the area. Notably, the Banaskantha district is on the rural side of India, and there is a need to research the available services and whether they effectively serve the needs of the people. The paper will focus on the issues the healthcare system is currently facing and the existing literature about the services. The methodology to be employed in the research, as well as the research question, will form a significant part of the proposal.

Introduction

  Banaskantha district is one of the 33 districts located in the Gujarat state of India. Recent statistics have indicated that 13.2% of the population in the region live in the urban side of Gujarat while 86.05 reside in the rural areas (Waheed et al., 2017). The district is the second-largest in the state, and the total population as per the recently conducted census was 3.1 million. The population growth rate is 24.43%, and the estimated literacy ratio is 66.39% (Raut & Sekher, 2013).

Individuals who reside in these rural areas within Gujarat tend to have access to poor health services as compared to those living in the urban regions. Research has indicated that the residents of the district have over the past years faced several health issues. The issues are worsened by the fact that quality healthcare facilities and services are inadequate in the areas. Some of the significant health issues the people of Banaskantha district have been facing in recent years include nutrition-related problems like obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition among children (Vora et al., 2016). Other issues include low immunization coverage and maternal deaths.

The poor state of health has been highlighted in recent data concerning the rising cases of maternal deaths, malnutrition among children, and cases of lifestyle diseases. The district has faced a decline in the available facilities, which are supposed to offer quality care to the residents. Maternal deaths, for instance, have often been linked to structural, social, and health system problems in the district (Waheed et al., 2017). Many of the health-related deaths could have been averted through the application of an effective health system, policy, and program.

Problem Statement

The provision of quality health care services should be a priority to the administration of Gujarat and India in general. Notably, the population of the Banaskantha district is increasing each day, and if the trend continues, the available healthcare facilities will be under strain (Patel, 2016). Notably, the healthcare facilities, especially the publicly owned ones, often suffer from a lack of expert services (Patel, 2016). Most of the residents have often been forced to seek assistance from private facilities. Also, the CHC facilities in the region have remained under-utilized due to improper location, inadequate human resources as well as weak referral systems between the PHCs and CHC.

The nutritional issues faced in rural Gujarat are linked to the absence of quality medical services in the rural areas, poor location of the facilities, and lack of experts. Addressing such issues will be a significant step in mitigating the health problems in the rural regions of the Banaskantha district in Gurajat (Waheed et al., 2017). Having the ability to access quality care has a considerable effect on the health of individuals in any given area.

Additionally, multiple factors have contributed to the poor health outcomes in the rural regions of Gujarat. The areas are a bit disadvantaged in the case of access to quality education, reliable income, and poor distribution of public healthcare facilities (Acharya & Ranson, 2005). Most of the healthcare providers are concentrated in the urban areas, and these issues have made it difficult to recruit qualified personnel for the facilities in the rural regions. The government ought to put measured aimed at ensuring that rural residents have access to quality health care services. The measures will ensure that the health issues facing the residents are reduced in the next few years.

Literature Review

System induced vulnerabilities are linked to the health issues facing the residents of rural Gujarat. Policies, as well as programs of the government, have affected the vulnerable most adversely. Cases of maternal deaths and malnutrition are linked to the poor location of the healthcare facilities in the region (Acharya & Ranson, 2005). The government’s failure to recruit qualified personnel for the public healthcare centers has had a significant contribution to the escalation of the problems.

Existing literature indicates that there is a need for an innovative system and models for quality health service delivery in the rural regions of Gujarat. The health needs of the diverse society of the region call for prioritization by the central government. Notably, research has indicated that 80% of outpatient care providers do not have formal qualifications. In extreme cases, some of the workers even lack a high school diploma (Kumar & Bhatia, 2014). The first step in the provision of quality care by the government should involve recruiting qualified personnel for rural health centers.

The dilapidated state of infrastructure, as well as inadequate supply of drugs and equipment, have negatively affected the health of the residents of Banaskantha district. Previous studies have indicated that the absentee rate of healthcare providers in rural-based facilities is quite high (Patel, 2016). Some of the workers, in other cases, are frequently unavailable for childbirths. The trend is linked to the increased maternal deaths in the rural region. The poor have even opted for the utilization of the available private medical services.

Research Questions

• What are the opinions of the health workers of Banaskantha district about the available healthcare services in the rural region?

• What are the essential medical services that are required but not available?

Research Design

The research will employ a qualitative approach. The approach suits the study because the experience of the workers who operate the rural health centers will be crucial. The design will give first hand information regarding how individuals interpret the health services available. The previous experience of the participants will be assessed.

Study Population and Sampling

The population under study will include four service providers in facilities within the Banaskantha district. The individuals will provide the required information because of their involvement in service delivery in rural areas. The research will utilize questionnaires and interviews with the four participants. A questionnaire with both open and closed-ended questions will be issued to all the participants. Utilization of the face to face interviews will involve the use of a mobile phone to record the response. However, the confidentiality of the data availed by the respondents will be ensured in compliance with the ethical requirements of research activities. Systematic sampling will be utilized in this research (Elfil & Negida, 2017). The elements will be selected at regular intervals of the population. The various elements will be put together in a sequence to ensure each worker has an equal chance of being selected.

Data Collection Methods and Analysis

The data will be collected through the use of questionnaires and will have three major sections. Such areas will include the access of services in the area, utilization of the available healthcare services as well as the general community overview. The questionnaire will have a specific structure whereby it will incorporate open and closed-ended questions (Elfil & Negida, 2017). The different questions will aid in getting an insight into the experiences of the workers and the community in general about the healthcare services available.

Data analysis will focus on the responses of the different participants, the various statements and quotes from the respondents. The information will then be translated into a report with a clear description of the finding from the responses.

Reflection

The motivation behind the research activity is to get an insight into the issues facing healthcare service delivery in the rural sections of Gujarat. The rising cases of poor health in the rural regions of Gujarat and often leading to an increase in mortality rate are linked to the medical systems in the areas (Waheed et al., 2017). Information is required concerning the gaps available in the healthcare systems for proper actions to be taken.

Conclusion

The study focuses on the rural regions of Gujarat and the availability of quality health services. The primary health issues facing the community and the care are a significant component of the research. The available healthcare facilities and services ought to meet the needs of the people. Strengthening healthcare delivery for the vulnerable members of the community should act as a priority to the government. The paper also provided a literature review of the condition of healthcare delivery in rural regions. Therefore, first-hand information will assist in making a conclusion of the state of healthcare delivery in the remote areas for proper action to be taken.

References

Acharya, A., & Ranson, M. K. (2005). Health care financing for the poor: community-based health insurance schemes in Gujarat. Economic and Political Weekly, 414-4150.

Elfil, M., & Negida, A. (2017). Sampling methods in clinical research; an educational review. Emergency, 5(1).

Kumar, J., & Bhatia, H. (2014). A review of the rural health care system in Gujarat. Arthshastra Indian Journal of Economics & Research, 3(6), 20-31.

Patel, P. (2016). ‘Filling the Gap’–An NGO’S Role in Making Maternal Healthcare More Accessible in Rural, Gujarat(Doctoral dissertation).

Raut, M. K., & Sekher, T. V. (2013). Decentralization of Health Care Systems: Findings from Odisha and Gujarat, India. Journal of Health Management, 15(2), 235-251.

Vora, K. S., Annerstedt, K. S., Mavalankar, D. V., Dholakia, N. B., Yasobant, S., Saiyed, S., ... & De Costa, A. (2016). Community Based Survey Methodology for Maternal Healthcare Utilization: Gujarat, India. Health, 8(14), 1542-1553.

Waheed, S. S., Kazmi, M., Dilawar, N., & Naeem, S. (2017). Audit of Maternal Mortality at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Gujrat. PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES, 11(1), 97-99.

Appendices

Questionnaire

1. What age group do you currently belong?

a) Under 18 b) 19-30 c) 30-50 d) 50 – 70 e) 70-100

2. For how long have you worked in the rural healthcare facilities in this region?

3. Why did you choose to work in a rural area as opposed to the urban regions?

4. What are the best things you like in this area?

5. What are the main social challenges do the people of Banaskantha district face?

6. What health services and programs are currently available to the people of this region?

7. What are your thoughts about access to quality care by the residents of Banaskantha?

8. Do you travel to offer medical attention to the people who cannot access the facility?

9. How accessible are the health services for the people of this region?

10. What is your opinion regarding the cost of healthcare in the Banaskantha region?

11. Do the people in this region prefer public over private care?

12. In the rural area, to what extent do limited resources available affect your ability to provide comprehensive care, which is in line with the patient's expectations?

13. In the rural region, there may be insufficient health care professionals to serve clients. How does this affect your ability to provide accessible and timely services to the patients?

14. Does the current physical environment in this facility support communication and collaboration in service delivery?

15. Does your organization utilize the current technology in the provision of evidence-based care to patients?