Inequalities in health services
Photo: Asian Development Bank
While reading Prothom Alo of 1st September 2012, a news drew my attention. It was a health report by WHO which showed the discrimination in health services between the rural and the urban areas. Pregnant mothers and children are the worst victims of inequalities simply because they are poor and live in villages where healthcare services are not available. Statistics shows that only 13% mothers get the services of skilled birth attendants during delivery period in the villages whereas the percentage is 37 in urban areas. Before delivery, 37% women living in the urban areas receive ANC (Antenatal Care) for four times, while only 14% village women can access it. Bidhan Krishna Sarker, Research Investigator of Reproductive Health Unit, ICDDR,B talked to Prothom Alo and said that it has not been possible on the part of the government to build comprehensive emergency obstetric care facilities equally across the country. At the same time, poor people cannot afford to buy the private healthcare services. He also talked about the lack of information for which people sometimes do not get health services. Correct information and awareness may create the demand for health service utilisation among poor and rural people, which can contribute to reducing the existing discrimination. So, there is a need for a massive health education campaign to aware people who are poor and living in rural areas. I would like to request the government, NGOs and donors to give sincere efforts to minimise the gap and ensure equal and better health services for all.
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