[Barriers to accessing health care services for the indigenous population in Rabinal, Guatemala].
OBJECTIVE
To identify and document access barriers to health care services for the indigenous population in Rabinal, Guatemala.


METHODS
A qualitative analysis was used. Over a period of two months, 20 semi-directional interviews were conducted in Rabinal, Guatemala: 15 with Achis indigenous people and five with health professionals. A focus group was done to verify the information collected during the individual interviews. The qualitative analysis was based on the transcription of interviews and the compilation of the data.


RESULTS
Barriers to access are inter-relational. Geographic barriers include distance and a significant lack of means of transportation. Economic barriers are the cost of office visits and medicine. Among the cultural barriers, the Spanish language is an obstacle. Indigenous people have other concepts of medicine and treatments and they complain on occasion of abuse by health professionals. At the same time, health professionals recognize that the trauma of the civil war is still present and criticize the poor living conditions and the lack of resources.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care services in Rabinal are inadequate and insufficient for responding to the needs of the local population.
Hautecoeur
Maeve
M
Departamento de Medicina Social y Preventiva, Universidad de Montreal, Canadá. maevita@yahoo.com
Zunzunegui
Maria Victoria
MV
Vissandjee
Bilkis
B
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007197:Indians, Central American; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged