Health Care Seeking Behaviour of State Government Employee Families: A Sociological Study in Kolkata City

Health-care seeking behavior differs depending upon socio-economic factors of people and political situation of respective administrative area. Study objective was to find out the pattern of health seeking behavior of State Government Employees to get knowledge regarding health access situation. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive research based on the structured interview and focus group discussion with structured schedule. The State-Government Employees availing Government Quarters were respondents for this empirical study. The study found that most of the respondents avoided public healthcare sector. They preferred private facilities, private mediclaim policy in spite of West Bengal Govt. health facilities existing for them. They are harassed by private facilities also. Most of them preferred out of state like Vellore for their health care destination. Many of them took telemedicine facility available in private health care unit as it is not available in public facilities. Health care system of West Bengal needs Governments attention, monitoring and up-gradation regarding accession for health care.