Patients' perception on user charges in a Government Hospital

Improving the quality of care requires more committed people and improved services. The payment option has worked in many health institutions till now, and this study aims to explore the option of “User Charges” in a Government Hospital to help raise funds. It aims to find out, whether, in order to get improved quality of services, the beneficiaries are ready to pay at least a minimal amount, which will help to decrease the financial burden on the government. If user charges somehow dissuade richer sections from using public facilities, they may help the poor to obtain better access to subsidized public facilities. If these steps can be combined with fee exemption schemes for the poor, then there is a real potential for the poor to benefit from improved quality care facilitated by revenues from user fees.