OVERVIEW OF ACCESS TO PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES IN THE LIMITED ACCESS AREA OF SEKO HEALTH CENTER, SEKO DISTRICT

Abstract

BACKGROUND : Geographical conditions in Indonesia have different challenges, especially in remote areas that are difficult to reach by transportation. low levels of community welfare and economy, limited natural resources (low land productivity), low accessibility and limited availability of facilities and infrastructure, low quality of human resources have an impact on the difficulty of reaching maximum health services. Difficulty in patient referrals due to distance and distribution of drugs so that the availability of drugs is also limited. The purpose of this study was to describe access to health services at Seko Health Center based on geographical barriers, physical barriers and health service utilities. METHOD : This study is a quantitative descriptive study that describes and explains the observed phenomena using numbers. The location of the study was at Seko Health Center, Padang Raya Village, Seko District, North Luwu Regency. The population in this study was 491 people who visited in the last 1 month. The Slovin formula was used in determining the sample and a sample of 220 people was obtained with a sampling technique, namely accidental sampling. The data source uses primary data obtained through questionnaires. Analysis test using univariate analysis RESULTS & DISCUSSION: We identified community perceptions in accessing health services based on geographical barriers, physical barriers and health service utilities. We found that the community stated that geographical barriers were difficult, which not only affected access to health services but also affected the availability of medical personnel and health equipment, geographical barriers also contributed to the low frequency of community visits to health services. Physical barriers also occurred related to transportation and inadequate road conditions, especially during the rainy season when the roads were impassable. In health service utilities, the availability of health facilities as a support for health services was also inadequate, this was a significant challenge in ensuring access to comprehensive health services. CONCLUSION : Inadequate access to health services remains a top priority in the health sector, especially in remote areas. Geographical barriers, physical barriers and low health service utilities provide challenges for the public in accessing quality health services so that they need attention from the government. The potential solution that needs to be done is to ensure that access to health services is a priority issue for policy makers so that people in areas with difficult access are able to obtain health services fairly and sustainably.