Use of unqualified practitioners by disabled people in rural Bangladesh.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2005-07-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This community-based study examines health care seeking strategies with respect to types of practitioners consulted by disabled persons in rural Bangladesh. A primary health care specialist collected the data through household surveys. The study found that 81% of the disabled people had sought some forms of care from various health practitioners. Unqualified practitioners were found to be strongly involved (96%) in providing health care in this area. Persons with learning difficulties, speech difficulties, fits and strange behavior were more likely to seek treatment from unqualified practitioners. Mean delay and cost of treatment were significantly higher among the qualified practitioners than the unqualified practitioners. Visits to universally free public or government health care facilities were characterized as frustrating, inconvenient, time-consuming and less rewarding for disabilities by 34% of the disabled people. Further examination of the plurality of providers and practitioners in rural Bangladesh is warranted to see how best they can be used or re-trained to respond to the health care needs of disabled persons.
Description
Mymensingh Medical Journal.
Keywords
Citation
Hosain GM, Hosain MM, Ganguly KC, Chatterjee N, Atkinson D. Use of unqualified practitioners by disabled people in rural Bangladesh. Mymensingh Medical Journal. 2005 Jul; 14(2): 160-4