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Primary data for 1,000 households, 500 each sampled from Rupnagar and Patiala districts of Punjab showed that contrary to the popular notion, SCs and STs did not overall display much difference in terms of access to reproductive health services. The overall favourable picture seems to be linked to the fact that the social gap between the non-SCs and SCs is not as wide in Punjab as in other parts of India, maybe in part due to the egalitarian influence of Sikhism. Some concerns do however remain. Punjab, despite having highest per capita income in the country, is not comfortably placed on the count of maternal mortality. The challenge can be met only by further strengthening the reproductive health services in the State.

Based on the primary data for 499 patients, 135 IPD and 364 OPD, in 62 hospitals across all the 20 districts in Punjab, the study discovered that contrary to the popular notion, the satisfaction level of the patients with the services delivered at hospitals managed by Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) was significantly high on most of the parameters. Both outdoor patients and indoor patients found the location of the hospitals accessible, diagnostic facilities in order, and quality of medical care satisfactory. There were, of course, some difficulties faced in respect of availability of medicines from within the hospitals, delay in obtaining the reports of diagnostic tests, and laxity in emergency cases. Many of the identified areas for quality improvement are related to the time factor and non-availability of medicines at the hospitals. The escalating costs involved in the purchase of medicines from the market emerged as a cause of worry for every patient. Indications are that the institutions like PHSC can be more effective than the conventional Health Departments in the delivery of health services especially to the patients belonging to the poor strata of society. This is endorsed by nine out of every ten patients who felt that the services offered at the private hospitals were unaffordable and beyond their reach. Moreover, a mismatch between the huge amount of money spent and the quality of services received impelled many of them to seek the services of a government hospital. The indispensability of the role of the public sector in health care in the Indian context cannot be missed.