INEQUALITIES OF POPULATION ACCESIBILITY TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THE BOTOSANI COUNTY (ROMANIA)

Abstract

The population access to health care services is conditioned on the offer of medical services, which being unevenly distributed determines a limited access of the population, especially in rural areas. The inequalities in the distribution of health resources in Botosani County show a different accessibility levels to health services, depending on the living environment, but also on some financial, educational and social aspects. Using statistical data in the period 2000–2013 and spatial analysis, this paper focuses on the assessing and interpretation of the population accessibility indicators to health services in Botosani county – a small county located in the NE part of the Romania, and which is part of the poorest region of the Romanian country, in order to highlight the inequalities outlined in the county between the rural and urban areas. The inequalities of population accessibility to health care services are due to the lack of medical facilities, the poor quality of transport infrastructure and the lack of income.

Keywords

• inequalities
• health care services
• spatial and temporal accessibility
• indicators of accessibility to health services
• botosani county