| Author | Alam, Md. Jahangir |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.HS-99-01 |
| Subject(s) | Health facilities--Bangladesh--Chittagong
|
| Note | A thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Rapid population growth in the urban areas of Bangladesh, patticularly in the major cities
Dhaka and Chittagong, caused by heavy influx of migrants from vast rural areas, has led to
severe pressure on the existing utilities and services. Overall health conditions of these urban
poor are not so good because they came in the urban area with poor health conditions, which
influenced by poverty and illiteracy. They get doubly affected because of poor living
conditions with inadequate preventive health facilities and lack of sufficient curative health
facilities. The slower rate of expansion of these health facilities only is increasing the destitute
conditions of the urban poor. Although, UNICEF, NGOs and some charitable organizations
have been working on urban poor health, but they concentrated only to the preventive health.
On the other hand urban inhabitants usually receives priority in Government expenditure and
policies, but even the large investments in general and specialized hospitals and clinics in the
public sector the facilities barely touch the health problems of urban poor. Which lead them to
seek modern health cares from private sector.
Against this backdrop, a poor community in the south part of Chittagong City was studied.
Systematic exploration was done of the existing living conditions patticularly focusing on the
availability of preventive health facilities and accessibility to curative health services of the
slum dwellers. Opinions were taken from dwellers regarding their service uses and preference
and causes for preferences. Also, the study had collected information slum people's attitude
and knowledge about health.
The results indicate that the majority of the poor people had same kind of health cares service
preference during their illness. According to the present study existing basic services are also
inadequate and unsafe for use. The results also indicate that income and education have no
impact on their health care behavior in this studied settlement. It was understood from the
observation as well as from the study, most of the service delivery institutions have lower
capability and lack of commitment to deliver preventive as well as curative services to the
poor people. But the users of health cares choices attach highest priority on modern health
facilities, especially to the curative health facilities. The study identified some problems from
the data to public health facilities such as, long distance, lack of proper care and long times
waiting. On the other hand modern curative health cares in the private sector is expensive.
Therefore, these available health cares services should place priority on accessibility for all
walks of life that will make it possible to have good health for all. |
| Year | 1999 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sheng, Yap Kioe; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Kammeier, Hans Detlef;Morishita, Hideharu; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | DAAD; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1999 |