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Top challenges impacting patient access to healthcare
(Last Updated On: March 22, 2021)
Patient access to healthcare sets the baseline for a patient’s interaction with the healthcare industry. When a patient is unable to access basic healthcare services, it’s a reflection of a poorly managed healthcare facility. However, this is a sad reality that was observed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unavailability of general physicians, hospital beds, no mode of transport led to a lot of rather avoidable deaths. Many patients who live without any familial support faced a lot of issues. Healthcare organisations must offer convenient facilities and specialised services to drive more patient access to healthcare.
Following are some of the highly discussed obstacles that hinder a patient from getting suitable healthcare facilities:
- Limited appointment availability: Many healthcare organizations offer a typical set of office hours for patient visits. But for working professionals or parents, a hospital that functions between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. is not always useful. Emergency provisions are not provided by local hospitals and a middle-class, humble person can’t always opt for a specialised facility.
- Shortage of staff: Many small towns only have access to one common hospital which is run by a limited amount of people. Most people don’t even have access to a general physician which is very concerning. Specialised professionals such as gynaecologists, therapists and paediatricians, offer consultation in relatively urban settlements. Healthcare facilities should invest more in rural areas as it only benefits them but also the population who resides in the said area.
- Expensive transportation: Even when a patient has access to a provider and can schedule an appointment, transportation issues can cause a huge obstruction in his treatment. Patients who are physically unable to drive, face financial barriers, or who otherwise cannot obtain transportation to the hospital often avoid a rather important visit to the hospital. This was also observed during the peak months of Covid-19 where people were unable to find a cheap mode of transportation to get themselves tested or admitted to a healthcare facility.
- Limited Awareness: Many people aren’t aware of the facilities that are available in their vicinity. This is a huge problem where people don’t have access to the internet or 4G. The 4G penetration has gotten better over the years. However, it still doesn’t serve as the solution to this problem. Many local hospitals don’t offer such intensive facilities. People have to travel miles in order to receive specialised care. Patients should have access to care at an urgent care centre, a retail clinic, a micro-hospital, a freestanding emergency department, and numerous other emerging treatment facilities on a local level. Lack of awareness amongst people is also a huge reason behind the poor healthcare infrastructure of our country.
We, at Surite, are constantly trying to provide a solution to these issues by offering our wide range of services on one platform. We encourage quality healthcare anywhere and at any time. Surite aims to bring world class medical care at your doorstep with just a few clicks. In order to get more information on our services, visit our website https://surite.in/ or download the Surite App.
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ehpl.surite@bajoria.in
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