Public Healthcare Financing and Rural Health Service Delivery in Meghalaya

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the effect of public healthcare financing on healthcare services in the rural areas of Meghalaya with a particular emphasis on accessibility, infrastructure, and the effectiveness of the services. The study employed quantitative method with descriptive and analytical type of research. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 150 respondents, of who were rural healthcare beneficiaries, healthcare workers, medical officers and government health officials. Statistic tools as correlation and regression analysis were performed using SPSS 27 and MS Excel. The results showed that the effects of public funding of health care services in rural areas are largely positive for the quality of the services. Furthermore, it was found that funding of healthcare had a positive relationship with healthcare accessibility for the rural population. The study underscores the need for proper financial planning, fair distribution of health facilities and better investments by the government to make the rural healthcare system strong in Meghalaya. But there are still challenges with infrastructure and the distribution of resources to ensure effective health services.