Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: February | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 188-198
Inequity in Utilization of Health Care Facilities in Urban India: An Application of Marginal Benefit Incidence Analysis
Montu Bose
Assistant Professor, TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India
ABSTRACT
Huge population pressure along with rapid urbanization has adversely impacted the morbidity-prevalence and hospitalization in urban India. However, no significant step has been taken by the government to strengthen the healthcare system in the sector. In this background, the paper aims to measure the extent of equity in utilization of healthcare services in urban India. The paper also intends to measure the marginal impact of strengthening of public healthcare facilities across economic classes. Applying Nation Sample Survey data, the paper shows that both morbidity reporting and hospitalization has increased in India. In terms of utilization of healthcare services, both the demand and supply side indicators are better in the urban sector compared to its rural counterparts. The impact has been reflected in the reporting of morbidity and the utilization of hospitalization care services also. Specifically, the utilization of public healthcare facilities is pro-poor in the urban sector. However, urban public healthcare services face multiple challenges like deficiency in infrastructure and manpower, overcrowding in hospitals etc. It is also revealed from the analysis that strengthening of the public healthcare facilities would be beneficial for the poor.
Key words: Benefit incidence, marginal benefit incidence, health equity, urban India, healthcare utilization.