Factors influencing access to primary healthcare services in Berejena Village, Guruve South District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Background: Accessibility to healthcare services at any healthcare facility is a vital and developmental issue and it as a very crucial aim of many governments globally. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing access to primary healthcare services in Berejena village, Guruve South District, Zimbabwe. Methods: A quantitative approach using a descriptive cross-sectional survey was employed. A self-reporting questionnaire with closed-ended questions was administered to both males and females respondents between the ages of 18-65 who suited the inclusion criteria. The targeted population was ordinary Zimbabweans. Four hundred and twenty five households were systematically selected and a sample size of 220 respondents randomly selected was used. Permission to conduct the research was sought from the Ethics Committee of the University of Venda and the Office of the District Administrator of Guruve South District. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0 was used to analyze data. Results: The results were presented on frequency tables and graphs. The findings showed that socio-economic and some socio-cultural factors had a negative impact and influence Primary HealthCare Services access (PHCS) in Berejena Village. It was found that sample (96%) regarded travel time, shortage of healthcare professionals (92%) and shortage of essential medication (93%) as factors influencing their access to PHCS. However, respondents showed that decision making (72%) and ethnicity (66%) did not influence their access to PHCS. Conclusion: Lack of medical aid, unreliability of transport and shortage of essential drugs were recognized as some of the socio-economic factors influencing access to PHCS. Religious beliefs, level of education and age are socio-cultural factors influencing access to PHCS and factors like decision making, ethnicity and marital status do not influence PHCS access in Berejena village. Recommendations: Introducing mobile clinics, health village workers, implementation and monitoring are some of the strategies that could help address the challenges raised in this study and better access to PHCS in Berejena village.