Health Care Services in India: A Case Study of SGPGI, Lucknow

Abstract

The public healthcare delivery system consists of a large number and a variety of institutions dispensaries, primary healthcare institutions, small hospitals providing specialist services, large hospitals providing tertiary care, medical colleges, paramedic training schools, laboratories, etc. Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow (India) is a University established under State Act in 1983. The institute has set up about 23 departments for providing health care services to indoor and outdoor patients. The Institute caters to emergencies relating to the specialties existing at the Institute. Since the hospital does not have several specialties, it does not cater to general medical emergencies. Patients whose illness does not relate to the specialties at the Institute are provided the initial first aid and referred to other institutions. The Institute campus has several facilities for patients and their attendants. SGPGI, being a super specialty hospital and medical institute attracts a large number of indoor and outdoor patients for receiving health care and medical treatment. Majority of the cases are being referred by other government and non-government hospitals and medical institutions to SGPGI for diagnosis, health care and medical treatment. SGPGI also provides cost-effective medical treatment for some of the major diseases and operations. It has also promoted medical tourism to the greater extent. A large number of patients are coming for the diagnosis, health care and medical treatment from faraway places. Catering health care and medical treatment to the patients is the prime motto of the institute. The patients and their relatives facilitating to them in the hospital and the institute are also availing health care services besides allied services while visiting and staying to the institute. It is imperative to examine the status of health care and allied services to the patients. Against this backdrop, present paper purports to examine the satisfaction of patients regarding the access, availability and utilization of health care and allied services