Spatial Inequity of Multi-Level Healthcare Services in a Rapid Expanding Immigrant City of China: A Case Study of Shenzhen

Wei Hu, Lin Li and Mo Su
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Wei Hu: School of Resource and Environment Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Rd., Wuhan 430079, China
Lin Li: School of Resource and Environment Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Rd., Wuhan 430079, China
Mo Su: School of Resource and Environment Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Rd., Wuhan 430079, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: Since the onset of reform and opening up in China, large cities in the nation have been experiencing problems related to limited medical resources. These resource limitations are due to rapid population growth and urban expansion. As the country’s fastest growing city, Shenzhen has experienced a substantial misalignment between the supply and the demand of healthcare services. Numerous researchers have analyzed spatial inequity in healthcare services by focusing on the spatial accessibility of medical facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, and community health service centers (CHSCs). However, the issue of inequity in healthcare services for vulnerable groups has largely been ignored. We chose general hospitals (GHs) and CHSCs, which provide direct healthcare services to residents, as the study objects. By performing spatial accessibility analysis using the gravity model and the two-step floating catchment area method, we investigated healthcare services inequity for vulnerable groups based on four dimensions: residential type, age, education level, and occupation. We found that the services provided by GHs cannot meet the demand in Shenzhen. This inadequacy is characterized by spatial centralization and neglect of those who reside in urban villages, who have low education levels, and who are employed in the manufacturing industry. In contrast, CHSCs generally serve a relatively broad population. This phenomenon is related to differences in the land and capital needs between GHs and CHSCs. Our study reveals that an appropriate adjustment of GH location could significantly improve healthcare services inequity. Therefore, to alleviate this inequity, it is particularly necessary to increase the number of GHs in the peripheral circle and in areas with large vulnerable populations, accelerate the implementation of the hierarchical medical system, and promote the transfer of medical resources to grassroot institutes through CHSCs. This study helps improve our understanding of healthcare services inequity in rapid expanding cities, which is of substantial significance for improving the planning and construction of medical facilities, facilitating scientific decision-making, and promoting social equity.

Keywords: healthcare services; inequity; accessibility; hierarchical medical system; Shenzhen city (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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