ELDERLY WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE ACCESS IN RURAL BANGLADESH - A SILENT VOICE
Mohammad Hamiduzzaman
Flinders University, Australia
: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Bangladesh is identified as one of the poorest countries with disparities in access to healthcare services, especially in rural areas. A significant proportion of the country’s poorest citizens are rural elderly women. The increased longevity and the compounding effects of acute and chronic illness often mean that elderly women are in more need of medical treatment than other populations. Despite medical treatment requirements, access to healthcare services for elderly rural women does not feature in governmental health care policy or in the existing research literature. The purpose of the study is to explore the factors and issues impacting on elderly women’s healthcare access in rural Bangladesh. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Two critical social frameworks underpinned by Jurgen Habermas and Axel Honneth were applied to research the phenomena of inequality in healthcare access for elderly rural women. Face-to-face audiotaped, semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 elderly women and 11 healthcare professionals in one region of Bangladesh. Using a critical thematic discourse data analysis enabled the recognition of women’s issues and the power relations that existed, whilst maintaining the respect and integrity of each participant’s data. Findings: Findings reveal a number of factors including individual, institutional and social contexts related to poverty, education, low self-efficacy, gender discrimination, inadequate and ineffectual healthcare arrangements and socioeconomic exclusion. These factors in combination inhibit elderly rural women’s healthcare access. Conclusion & Significance: The findings have implications for the planning and financing of healthcare services for this cohort at individual and institutional levels in rural Bangladesh. The political, social and economic implications will require significant changes to improve the health and wellbeing of elderly rural women and their healthcare access.
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