Open AccessQuality of family planning programme in India: A review of public and private sector
Author(s) -
Dileep Mavalankar
Publication year - 1996
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.31899/rh1996.1016
Subject(s) - private sector , family planning , public sector , government (linguistics) , business , competence (human resources) , quality (philosophy) , economic growth , welfare , interpersonal communication , public relations , political science , population , medicine , environmental health , economics , psychology , research methodology , management , linguistics , philosophy , epistemology , law , social psychology
Increasing attention has been paid to quality of care (QOC) in family planning (FP) during the last few years, and there have been several initiatives to strengthen QOC in FP in the developing world. This paper reviews the quality of the FP program in India’s public and private sectors, and examines six elements: choice of methods, information given to clients, technical competence, interpersonal relations, continuity of care and follow-up, and appropriate constellation of services. Overall, the paper finds that not much attention has been paid to QOC and hence the level is quite low. Evidence and observations indicate that QOC may be slightly better in the nongovernmental sector. In many areas adequate information is not available to assess QOC, especially in the private sector. Overall, substantial efforts are needed to improve QOC in FP in India. The paper discusses why QOC is poor and offers suggestions for improving each dimension. As the Government of India is actively considering revising its FP program strategy and adopting a reproductive health approach, it may be an opportune time to improve QOC in the family welfare program.