Distribution of health care facilities

Abstract

This chapter provides a population-based analysis of the distribution and potential capacity of different types health care facilities in Peru. Health care facilities are heavily concentrated in the major urban areas of Peru. The distribution of health care facilities in Peru has been analyzed without regard for their equipment inventories or states of repair. The Ministry of Health (MOH) should not only work toward a more equitable distribution of new health care facilities, but should also take immediate steps to repair, maintain, and resupply their existing facilities. The chapter analyzes the availability of and potential need for hospital beds, assessing coverage at the departmental, regional, and hospital-area levels. Health centers are more evenly distributed in relation to population distribution than hospitals, but they still show substantial variation among departments. The MOH runs too many large hospitals and too few medium-sized ones, preventing its network from functioning efficiently and equitably.