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Healthcare under the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in a decentralised health system: Experiences from Hardoi district of India

Virendra Kumar (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee, India)
Anindya Jayanta Mishra (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee, India)

Leadership in Health Services

ISSN: 1751-1879

Article publication date: 3 May 2016

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the challenges and benefits arising from the involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the provisioning of primary healthcare in a decentralised health system of India.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study design was used in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 89 respondents selected from nine primary health centres across the district. A thematic analytical framework approach was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The research results indicate that there are several challenges resulting from PRIs involvement, including prioritisation of service providers and users, coercive unethical work and lack of communication. However, there are some benefits associated with the involvement of the PRIs in service provisioning, including improved availability and regularity of healthcare providers at the health centres.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the findings suggest that the PRIs play an important role in healthcare provisioning; however, their involvement is ineffective due to their partial capabilities and approach, which creates a non-conducive environment.

Practical implications

Health issues are among the most important human concerns, and recognising and addressing the grassroot challenges help to locate, and overcome the challenges that hinder the smooth healthcare provisioning process.

Originality/value

National Rural Health Mission has recognised the PRIs as a platform to promote decentralised health planning and for achieving its goals in India. The PRIs are significantly involved in planning, monitoring and provisioning of primary healthcare services at grassroot level. This paper addresses the challenges and benefits that emerged due to their involvement.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank to the study respondents who willingly shared their experiences. The authors also thank the University Grant Commission (UGC) of India for providing fellowship to conduct this research under Grant [number 7,401-15-044].

Citation

Kumar, V. and Jayanta Mishra, A. (2016), "Healthcare under the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in a decentralised health system: Experiences from Hardoi district of India", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 151-167. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-08-2015-0022

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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