The Quality of Family Planning Services in Uttar Pradesh from the Perspective of Service Providers

Abstract

It is important to understand the social, physical, and administrative environment in which the grassroots components of a health program function and provide services. Bruce (1990) created a framework that conceptualizes this environment as program effort consisting of policy and political support to the family planning program, resource allocation; and family planning program management and structure. Given the shortage of essential resources and the problems with facilities in many areas of India, providing a high quality of services is a challenging task. In a complex and bureaucratic system like the Indian Family Welfare Programme, workers at the grassroots level have limited Opportunities to discuss and resolve their problems. They often neglect their
duties by not visiting field areas, not attending clinics, providing only a limited range of services, or meeting only some of the goals set by higher officials. Foremost among these goals has been the achievement of method-specific targets, particularly for sterilization. To improve the program's services, program managers must take into account not only the perspectives of users, but also the perspectives of providers.