BARRIES TO HEALTH CARE IN RURAL AREAS

Health, has been significantly becomes one of the major concerns face by most of

individuals. In fact, the escalating cases of various disease and health problems is getting extreme

in extent over time. The increasing number of people suffering poor health just shows that there is

a need of practical solutions and immediate actions. Respectively, addressing individuals living

in places away from the city. Taking into account that, the access of health care services in rural

places is a challenge, considering following reasons particularly: transportation, concentration of

poverty, lack of medicinal facilities and practicing clinicians.

Means of transportation is often one of the difficulties faced by most of the rural

communities which limits their ability to obtain health care they need. Rural residents are more

likely to travel long distances which has become a significant burden since it cost money and time.

To travel distance just to reach professionals and health care provider is costly and burdensome

for patients living in remote rural areas (Rural Health Information Hub, 2002). According Carol

GH PhD. (2006) access to transportation shows a major obstacles that hinders in providing health

care services in rural practices. It has become a challenge for elderly, handicaps and differently

able patients, especially to patients who need regular clinical check-up and medication. With the

occurrence of this problem, availability of good transport should be provided for the easy access

from rural areas to the city. There should be a design system of transportation that would allow

communities in rural area to transport from place to another especially during urgent cases.

Further, poverty still remains as the primary dominant problem that hinders the access of

quality health care services in rural areas. Due to lack of financial means to pay for services, rural

residents face greater difficulty accessing care, since affordability of service is concern (Rural

Health Information Hub, 2002). It is estimated that around 30% - 40% of the Philippine’s total
population belongs under the poverty threshold. According to the survey conducted by

Demographic and Health Survey (2018) it is reported that more than a three-quarters of the

population, struggling in securing money to their medical expenses. Due to the rising cost of health

care services in the Philippines, payment in medication threaten most of the household particularly

in rural communities where the concentration of poverty is at its high extent. Drawing this points

together, it show that there is a need for action promoting sustainable livelihoods, resources, better

education, health and opportunities for rural residents.

Lastly, one of the barriers in accessing care is due to lack of medicinal facilities and

practicing clinicians. Based on the research conducted by Reyes-Gibby C. and Aday L(2005) the

result showed that only 15% of understudied rural in the Philippines were able to undergone check-

up. It is due to only just are capable of accessing to healthcare facilities. Moreover, healthcare in

the Philippines specifically in rural areas suffers from the shortage of human medical resources,

especially doctors, since the concentration of the workforce is focusing on the urban area. All in

all, this evidences just suggests that a need for support in designing health programs in rural

communities is highly considerable in able to give services to under-served rural population.

Overall, the prevalent problems of accessing healthcare in rural area is a major concern

that is need to be considered. The alarming rate of different health cases and diseases in rural

communities just evidently show that there is a need of immediate actions and effective solution.

Effective programs and favorable design of health care system should be implemented, and the

chance to be treated should be given to those everyone who are in need, and should be given not

just to communities near in city but also to rural communities.

Carol, Green-Hernandez, PhD, FNS, FNP-BC December (2006) The nurse practitioner

Volume:31 Number12,p10

Reyes-Gibby, Cielito, & Aday, Lu Ann, (2005) Access to health care in rural area of Philippines

Rural health information hub (2002) https://www.rural healthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-

access#veterans Date Retrieved: 20, 2019