Spatial Inequality in Health Care Infrastructure in Allahabad District: A Geographical Study

Abstract

Health is a fundamental human right and central to the concept of quality of life. Due to
various socio-economic and political factors, there exists a widespread inequality in the
distribution of health care facilities in India. The present study attempts to highlight the
existing health care infrastructure and also tries to analyse the inter-block disparities regarding
health care facilities in Allahabad district. To identify the regional disparities of health care
infrastructure three broad categories have been identified i.e. availability of health care
infrastructure, performance of public health care centres and accessibility to healthcare
services. There is found considerable shortfall in the existing and required number of Primary
Health Centres and manpower under the public health system in Allahabad district. Nearly 80
per cent of the total area of Allahabad district is suffering due to very poor health care
infrastructure. Only four development blocks viz. Shankargarh, Phulpur, Chaka and Meja
have relatively better health care facilities than the rest of the district. Analysis of block level
disparities in health care infrastructures would help to identify specific deficiencies and suggest
corrective measures to improve the healthcare system in the district for achieving the goal of
‘Health for all’. The state government needs to adopt viable policies and programmes and
take some immediate actions to improve the health care infrastructure in Allahabad district.