Assessment of patients satisfaction with mobile medical clinics in the two districts of north Bengal, India

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator to measure the quality of healthcare services and plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of health service delivery. The aim of the study was to assess the patient’s satisfaction level with the quality of health care delivered at the mobile medical clinics (MMC) in two districts of north Bengal, India. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was done using a purposive sampling method, and total of 294 samples were recruited. A questionnaire (PSQ-18) was used to assess the patient satisfaction level. Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables. F-test and t-test were used for mean differences between the variables. Linear regression analysis was done to examine the linear effect of social factors on patient satisfaction. Results: The present study shows that overall satisfaction was 74.04%, with a mean value of 3.702. In the Jalpaiguri district, 27.5% of patients are highly satisfied, whereas 17.0% are in Alipurduar. Alipurduar district has a higher low satisfaction rating (39.7%) than Jalpaiguri district (19.7%), and a district-wise significant association was found (p<0.001). Overall satisfaction level effects by occupation (p<0.001), population and socio economic status (p<0.05). Conclusions: Policymakers may consider that MMCs could be an effective strategy to improve primary health care in remote, underserved areas where there are no public health care facilities.

Case of foreign body as a broom handle in the rectum.

A 68 yrs old male patient with a foreign body (broom handle cover 11’inch) introduced as sexual perversion presented with lower abdominal pain, the management emphasis is a transanally retrieval and ruling out of rectal and colonic perforation under colonoscopy guidance under local anesthesia in pad.

A study on utilization and quality of coverage of antenatal care services at the subcentre level.

A community based cross-sectional study was done by interviewing a sample of 360 women of Anchuri Block in the district of Bankura, West Bengal to know the determinants of utilization and coverage quality of antenatal care services of subcentres using an appropriate scoring system for analysis. The study revealed underutilization of subcentres by the women and also sub-optimal performance of subcentres with regard to coverage quality of ANC services The main reason for under utilization of subcentres was found to be better service provision and easy accessibility of B.S.Medical College Hospital. Multiparous mothers were seen to be at a disadvantage both in terms of utilization of the source of choice as well as in terms of coverage of ANC services by subcentre ANMs.

A study of relapse after MDT in a district in West Bengal, India.

A study was undertaken to estimate the magnitude of the problem of relapse and to identify factors responsible for relapse in leprosy units that were delivering MDT in Purulia District of West Bengal. From records patients were classified as "Relapse" or "Not relapse". "Not relapse" patients were selected by simple random sampling from the Surveillance Register and were matched according to age, sex, and the leprosy control unit. 128 cases ("Relapse") and 128 controls ("Not relapse") were interviewed in the clinic using a pre-tested questionnaire. Details of methods to identify and confirm relapse were circulated to all reporting units for ensuring uniformity and reliability. NGOs covered 42% of the population, while the State Government covered the remaining. The patients had been followed up after completion of treatment for a period of two years in PB leprosy and for five years in MB leprosy. The study revealed that the relapse rate was 1.71/1000 person-years for original PB cases and 0.76/1000 person-years for original MB cases. The study also showed that history of contact with an active leprosy patient and irregular treatment led more PB cases to relapse than control cases. All patients with an initial BI of 3+ relapsed with a BI of 1+ or 2+.

Mass DEC campaign for filariasis in a hyper endemic district of West Bengal.

As a part of the on-going National Filaria Control Programme, National Filaria Day was observed in Purulia district of West Bengal on 26th Nov 2000 with an extensively organized mass DEC consumption campaign preceded by IEC activities and followed by mopping up operations. In all 81.07% of the targeted population was covered, females (84.3%) being more available than males (78.3%). Percentage of coverage declines with increase in age. Municipalities and notified areas had less coverage as well as supervised consumption than in other areas. Consumption was highest in Balarampur block (88.6%). Supervised consumption among surveyed population was highest in Bandwan (56.0%). Overall patient compliance was very good, with side effects of vomiting, dizziness, headache and fever being 2.12% only among surveyed population. Disease prevalence among population covered showed 0.1% hand swelling, 0.6 to 0.8% leg swelling, while 1.1% of males had hydrocele.