title: Clients' perceptions of delivery of veterinary services in peri-urban Ghana.
abstract: A study was designed aimed at comparing the assessment of performance of animal health care delivery systems in peri-urban Ghana by livestock and poultry keepers in 4 locations. 889 respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire. A higher proportion of respondents in Location 1 met their needs for animal health by themselves, while in Location 3 these needs were met mainly by veterinarians. The mean distances to veterinary clinics, veterinary technicians or to purchase medicine were significantly higher in Location 1. Higher proportions in 3 locations perceived effectiveness of service delivery to be good. However, equity was poor in all 4 locations. Higher proportions in Locations 2, 3 and 4 said services were unaffordable. Client needs were perceived to have been met by higher proportions in Locations 3 and 4 but not in Locations 1 and 2. Staff attitude and technical competence were good in all 4 locations. The study concluded that the differences reported in the quality of service indicators in the 4 locations were not critical enough to recommend location-specific delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. kobbiecc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Turkson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005869:Ghana; D006041:Goats; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011200:Poultry; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012756:Sheep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013552:Swine; D018634:Veterinarians / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*