Paradoxes of healthcare in Goa

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the satisfaction level of patients with respect to healthcare services provided by public and private hospitals. The result of the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) revealed that in general, when both public and private hospitals are considered, the level of satisfaction among patients is very low. Public sector healthcare completely lacks overall service quality whereas the private sector shows some signs of satisfaction. This being the case, because no other options are available, patients keep visiting both public as well as private sector hospitals for their ailments, making it a paradox. Concerned hospital authorities and also management must focus on improving service quality so as to ensure that the overall image of the healthcare sector in Goa improves in the coming years, which may be considered as an Unique Selling Proposition (USB) for making Goa a health tourism destination.