Publication: Out of pocket Expenditure on Health Service Delivery at a Tertiary Care Women’s Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nepal Medical Association
Abstract
Abstract:
Introduction: Institutional delivery in Nepal is increasing in the past decades and has been the priority program of the government of Nepal. However, due to the hidden costs related to institutional deliveries, the financial burden remains unacceptably high for poor households. The study aimed to find out the major out of pocket expenditure on health service delivery at a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital from December 2018 to May 2019. Ethical approval was taken from Nepal Health Research Council (ref. no. 2087) and permission was taken from the hospital. Informed consent was taken from the participants. Convenient sampling was done. A semi-structured questionnaire was used as a tool for the interview. Data was entered into Epidata and analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences version 23. Descriptive analysis was done using mean, median, standard deviation, inter-quartile range, frequency, and percentage.
Results: The median out of pocket expenditure of the participants to maternal delivery was NRs. 11720 (7610–20263). The median expenditure was found highest for food and drinking NRs. 2500 (1500–5550) and transportation NRs. 2150 (1400–4543) respectively.
Conclusions: Indirect expenditures were found to be higher than direct medical expenditures. Accessibility of the birthing centers and health insurance may reduce the costs related to maternal deliveries.
Description
Puja Gartaula
Department of Public Health, Little Buddha College of Health Sciences, New Baneshwar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Shristi Neupane
Department of Public Health, Little Buddha College of Health Sciences, New Baneshwar, Kathmandu, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2395-9073
Dip Narayan Thakur
Nepal Public Health Research and Development Center, New Baneshwar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Raj Kumar Sangroula
Department of Public Health, Little Buddha College of Health Sciences, New Baneshwar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords
direct, expenditures, health, indirect, institutional delivery