Quality of service of primary health centers: insights from a field study

This paper provides an evaluation of the quality of services and customer orientation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) against the backdrop of the changed environment in the country with customer focus and efficiency emerging as the cornerstones of economic transactions in private and public sectors alike. It focuses on ten selected PHCs of Uttar Pradesh and covers the following stakeholders: Customers including patients who use the health care facilities of PHCs as well as the relatives and their personal attendants. Community members covering the village public, local shopkeepers, local govern-ment functionaries, local intelligentsia such as teachers and others having an interest or stake in PHC activities. Doctors and staff of the PHCs. District Medical Officials responsible for controlling and monitoring the PHC activities. The paper draws, among others, the following conclusions: The customers and community members of the villages perceived the facilitie