Effect of Physical Accessibility and infrastructure adequacy of Maternal Health Care Services on their use in Rural India

With the purpose to examine the progress in maternal care with decentralized NRHM program (2005) implemented in rural India. This study from the District Level Household Survey data shows that little use is made of antenatal and delivery-care services in EAG states. After adjusting for individual-level factors, availability of all weather road, information given on ANC significantly increases the likelihood of timely receipt of antenatal care and of at least antenatal care visits, while the availability of a health center within 5 kilometers providing natal care significantly increases the odds of each outcome. The odds of having institutional delivery are significantly reduced by distance from the nearest hospital, and are increased if a health worker is present in the neighborhood; and providing antenatal care; furthermore increases with essential adequate equipment/drugs and doctors availability at Primary health center (PHC). Neighborhood higher education increases the likelihood of delivery care. The findings suggest that improving the use made of maternal healthcare services would require, among other things, improvement of the availability of adequate services especially at PHC and road connectivity, information on service delivery in addition to remuneration beneficiary given to women for institutional births (JSY).