Challenges of Basic Public Health Services Provided by Village Doctors in Guizhou,China

Abstract

This study was undertaken to uncover the challenges faced by village doctors in providing basic public health services (BPHS) in western rural areas of China. This field research for BPHS, with 12 managers and 82 village doctors of county Y in Guizhou province, was conducted in July 2012 using a combination of random and purposive sampling methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied for data collection. EpiData 3.1, SPSS 15.0, and NVivo 10.0 were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the main challenges in delivering BPHS include heavy workload, poor working conditions, low income, lack of social security, and insufficient cooperation from rural residents. The Chinese government officials and policy makers can consider these challenges and focus on improving the quality and equity of BPHS by developing relevant strategies.

Keywords

basic public health services village doctor challenges China

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Notice on the publishing of health system reform key implementation plan in recent years (2009-2011). http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2009-04/07/content_1279256.htm. Accessed April 7, 2009.

Liu

. China’s public health-care system: facing the challenges. Bull World Health Organ. 2004;82:532-538.

Yip

Hsiao

Meng

Chen

Sun

. Realignment of incentives for health-care providers in China. Lancet. 2010;375(9720):1120-1130.

Wang

. There are about 1 million village doctors in China. http://www.china.com.cn/news/2010-12/24/content_21610765.htm. Accessed December 24, 2010.

Xiong

. On one issue to be urgently solved in the Western new rural construction. Contemporary Economy & Management. 2008;30(8):55-58.

Center for Health Statistics and Information. Research on Health Services in the Western Part of China, 2008. Beijing, China: Beijing Union Medical University Press; 2010.

Gui

Berry

Zheng

. Migrant worker acculturation in China. Int J Intercult Relat. 2012;36:598-610.

Chen

. Launch of the health-care reform plan in China. Lancet. 2009;373(9672):1322-1324.

Chow

Quine

. The benefits of using a mixed methods approach—quantitative with qualitative—to identify client satisfaction and unmet needs in an HIV healthcare centre. AIDS Care. 2010;22:491-498.

10.

Tao

Huang

Long

Tolhurst

Raven

. Low postnatal care rates in two rural counties in Anhui Province, China: perceptions of key stakeholders. Midwifery. 2011;27:707-715.

11.

Earl

. The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co; 2004.

12.

Yip

Hsiao

. Early appraisal of China’s huge and complex health-care reforms. Lancet. 2012;379(9818):833-842.

13.

Meng

Yuan

Jing

Zhang

. Mobility of primary health care workers in China. Hum Resour Health. 2009;7:24.

14.

Crosato

Leipert

. Rural women caregivers in Canada. Rural Remote Health. 2006;6:520.

15.

Malhotra

Ostbye

Subramanian

. Maternal autonomy and child health care utilization in India: results from the National Family Health Survey. Asia Pac J Pub Health. 2012;26:401-413.