An Evaluation of the Public Healthcare Services and COVID-19 in the North-Eastern States of India: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 has caused an impending disaster with combined social and economic effects. The socio-economic effects of the pandemic are devastating whereby millions of the population drove towards poverty; with nearly 690 million population left undernourished. COVID-19 has demanded efficient healthcare to combat the disease, however, the millions of reported deaths indicate insufficient and unprepared public healthcare. Objective: To analyse the relationship between public healthcare services and COVID deaths. Methodology: The study used basic descriptive methods: averages, percentages, and correlation. To analyse the effects of healthcare infrastructure and healthcare services on COVID deaths, a multivariate linear regression model was used. Results: A high positive correlation was found between COVID deaths and healthcare infrastructure and services. Sub-centres and district hospitals have a negative yet insignificant effect on COVID deaths with parameter estimates of -1.07108 and -166.458 respectively. Community Health Centre and Primary Health Centre have positive and insignificant effects on COVID deaths with parameter estimates of 10.28023 and 11.60391 respectively. Nurses and pharmacists (PHC andCHC) have a negative and insignificant effect with parameter estimates of -1.4027 and -3.38527 respectively. Doctors (PHC) and laboratory technicians (PHC and CHC) have a positive and insignificant effect with parameter estimates of 6.124071 and 5.347605 respectively. F-statistic value was found to be significant in both models. Conclusion: Healthcare infrastructure and services have been insignificant at reducing the recovered COVID cases and COVID deaths.