Assessment of Free Health Care Provision System in North Gondar Gondar Town, Ethiopia, 2011

Abstract

Equity is the requirement that individuals of unequal ability to pay make different payment (Vertical equity) or those of the same ability to pay make the similar contribution (Horizontal equity) To assess the effectiveness of waiver and exemption system and to compare the characteristics of households who are free health beneficiaries with households who are not free health beneficiaries, Gondar town, North West, Ethiopia -A cross sectional design was employed among free households health beneficiaries and households not free health beneficiaries in Gondar town from June, 1-30/2011. The sample size of 124 free health beneficiaries’ households and 124 not free health beneficiaries households selected by stratified random sampling technique. The data were collected by using interview administered questionnaire consisting of major variables like, socio-demographic profile and knowledge about waiver and exemption system. Finally, analyzed using SPSS V. 16. only 8 (3.57)% of the households having free certificate and 11(4.91%) of households not having free certificate reported that leakage was a possibility while 30 (13.39%) for households having free certificate and 23(10.27%) households not having free certificate reported the possibility of under-coverage The results of this study showed that the current waiver mechanism is not very effective in screening the poor. Improved screening technique and creating awareness among keble officials on the financial impact of free health service is needed