Learned preferences of health seeking behaviour and utilization of RSBY card

Indian health scenario is known for the out of pocket expenditure and resultant poverty trap. Considering these situation, Government of India has launched Rashriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for addressing the health expenditure related with health seeking behaviour of the population especially the vulnerable sections. As the Indians health seeking behaviour is more prone to the private players, the RSBY scheme has included empanelled private players for rendering the health care service under the scheme. The researcher here examines the health seeking behaviour and preferences of the sample population before and after their enrollment to the RSBY scheme.

The Sendiripanchayat selected under the study is inhabited mostly by SC and OBC population. The researcher has taken 50 samples, which represent the BPL households of the panchayat. Interview schedule and observation methods are used to get data from the beneficiaries. Also interview with health professional and allied workers working in the villages and district health officials are conducted.

The findings throws light into the, disease pattern and prevalence in the panchayat, health seeking behaviour this BPL population before and after the health card, and learned preference for private or clinics hospitals etc. the highlight of the study is the prefernctial differences of people in choosing the private health care institutions instead of public health institutions in matters of health care choices and health seeking behaviour.