Out-of-pocket expenditure for antenatal care among women in a tertiary care hospital - A cross-sectional study

Background: The government of India has promoted several initiatives to provide support to all women during their pregnancy. Despite this, various studies report out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPEs) amongst antenatal women nationwide. Aims: We wanted to assess OOPE amongst antenatal women attending th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current medicine research and practice 2024-03, Vol.14 (2), p.63-66
Main Authors: Gupta, Sunanda, Lukhmana, Shveta, Dhandapani, Ghurumourthy, Khokhar, Anita, Marwah, Sheeba
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
antenatal women
Health aspects
Health care industry
health economics
maternal health
Obstetrics
out-of-pocket expenditure
Pregnancy
Women
women's health
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Summary:Background: The government of India has promoted several initiatives to provide support to all women during their pregnancy. Despite this, various studies report out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPEs) amongst antenatal women nationwide. Aims: We wanted to assess OOPE amongst antenatal women attending the outdoor patients' department in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 405 antenatal women attending the outdoor patients' Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. During outpatient department hours, data were collected through purposive sampling in September 2022 using a self-developed, pre-tested interview schedule. Results: Median OOPE during the antenatal period was 5000 (interquartile range: 2350-9003) INR. The highest median cost for OOPE was reported for laboratory investigations, followed by the purchase of medicine(s) and consultation charges (at private facilities). Ninety-six per cent of the participants met OOPEs via salary, wage or pension. Conclusions: Our study reported OOPE amongst antenatal women visiting the outdoor patients' Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of a tertiary care hospital. A substantial majority of participants were meeting their OOPE through salary, wage or pension. These findings underscore the financial burden faced by individuals during the antenatal period, particularly in accessing essential healthcare services. Keywords: Antenatal women, health economics, maternal health, out-of-pocket expenditure, women's health
ISSN:2352-0817
2352-0825
DOI:10.4103/cmrp.cmrp_211_23