Location of Health Care Facilities and Access to Health Care Services in Nasarawa State

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have indicated that access to adequate healthcare and services in developing economies is hindered by many factors such as gender, income, distance, financial status and geagraphical praximity to basic, primary, secondary or even tertiary health facilities and services. This situation has contributed to poor health statuses in developing areas. This study is focused on the geographical barriers that prevent the rural populace of Nasarawa State from accessing health facilities and services that bring them physiological wellbeing and satisfaction.
Methods: The study utilized the exploratory method to identify health facilities and the accessibility of these facitities to health seekers. The National Population Commission (NPC), Nasarawa State Ministry of Health and the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency were approached and data on health facilities were collected. The facilities were classified into Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions with categories ranging from Performance Based financing health facilities, Decentralised financing health facilities, Sub-contracted health facilities, Non Performance Based Financing health facilities, and the Hard to Reach health facilities.
Findings: Findings indicated that a majority of health facilities were located in urban centres. The majority of rural areas have only a few poorly equipped health facilities. Besides over sixty percent of the health facilities in rural areas are very difficult to reach as a result of distance from seekers. Health facilities are crucial to achieving the expansion in access to all as a global health reform policy to improve access to health.
Recommendation: It is therefore very critical for govemment and other agencies to provide health facilities within the locality for easy access in order to ensure health for all.