Micro level planning methodology for primary health care services

Abstract

This paper describes a micro-level planning methodology for primary health care service which has been developed and tested in India. As compared to current top-down target-based planning, the methodology uses village level data on client needs to formulate micro-level plans aimed at improving service coverage. A quick sample survey to assess service need, coverage-gaps and reasons for non-utilization of services form the basis for identifying village level variations and developing village profiles. From such disaggregated analysis of data general interventions for overall service-coverage improvement and targeted interventions for selected villages are also identified. This system was tried out in 113 villages of three Primary Health Care centres of a district in Gujarat state of India. It demonstrated the feasibility and utility of this approach. However, it also revealed the barriers in the institutionalization of the system on a wider scale.