Main description:

Primary health care is a public sector responsibility in most countries, and it is a challenging task for any government to ensure its universal access and good quality. The problems arise not only due to lack of financial resources but also poor organisation and management at different levels of service delivery. This volume, taking examples from India and Bangladesh, investigates the role of the central government in delegating the responsibility of primary health care services to local level bureaucracy and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It also emphasises the importance of social accountability/client participation in improving the quality of care in which both India and Bangladesh have poor records.

Contents:

Contents

List of Tables and Figures
About the Editors/Contributors
Foreword (Y. K. Alagh)
Acknowledgements

1. An Institutional Perspective on Provision of Primary Health Care in India and Bangladesh - Alia Ahmad And N. Lalitha
2. Decentralised Provision of Primary Health Care in Rural Bangladesh: A Study of Government Facilities - Alia Ahmad, Manik Lal Bose And Therese Hindman Persson
3. Health Care Service Delivery and Local Self-Governments: Experiences and Lessons from Karnataka, India - T. V. Sekher 67
4. Utilisation, Awareness and Participation among Clients of Primary Health Care Services in Rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India - Alia Ahmad, Manik Lal Bose Andtherese Hindman-Persson
5. Provision of Primary Health Care Services in Urban Areas of Bangladesh: The Case of Urban Primary Health Care Project Alia Ahmad
6. Demand and Willingness to Pay for Health Care in Rural West Bengal - Sumit Mazumdar And M. Guruswamy
7. Household Health Expenditures in Rural Northern Bengal: Implications for Health Care Financing Reform - Sumit Mazumdar And M. Guruswamy
8. Essential Drugs Management in Tamil Nadu Government's Health Care - N. Lalitha