Abstract
Now a day’s health care is very significant to each and every people because they have to live without any health problem. In case of any disease, hospitals are able to diagnose and give treatment to the patients. This study deals with comparing public and private hospitals health care service. The main focus of the study is service expectations and perceptions of the select hospitals. In these two hospitals, a sample of 400 in-patients is selected to collect the primary data through SERVQUAL model based on convenience sampling. The finding of the study indicates that the perceptions of service in private hospital are higher than the public hospital.
Keywords: SERVQUAL, Doctor, Patient, Hospital, Expectation, Perception, Tangible, Empathy
1. Introduction
Health care services are becoming more important today to prevent the people without being affected by any disease. The medical services in the hospital vary from one hospital to another. The development of medical facilities is influenced not only by the opening of hospitals or medical care centres but more so by their administration and management. If hospitals or health care centres are organized properly, there would be extension in the medical facilities, with the least possible investment. Against to it, if it is found that there are managerial inadequacies even in big hospitals, they can not provide good medical facilities.
India spends about 5% of GDP 1 on health (as per WHO report 2002) and out of this 5% public expenditure is around 1% and private expenditure is 4% 2. Private healthcare is much larger and wide spread than public health service. The number of registered practitioners is estimated to be about 13 lakhs across the country. 3 The allopathic doctors constitute 45% of total registered practitioners and are located mostly in urban areas, whereas non-allopathic doctors are located in rural areas. 4