title: Availability of doctors at primary health centres of Andhra Pradesh, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Availability of doctors at primary health centres (PHCs) is a major concern. We measured the operational availability of doctors in PHCs and examined the effect of residential distance and private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six health centres, consisting of six randomly selected PHCs from six purposively chosen districts in Andhra Pradesh were studied. Cross-sectional data on residential distance, private practice and attendance pattern of 38 operationally available medical officers were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 80% of doctors residing within 20 km attended their PHC on all 6 days of a week, compared with only 33% for those staying >40 km away. Among those staying >20 km away from their PHC, the odds of absenteeism by privately practising doctors was 3-24 times more than for those not practising privately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residential distance seems to affect the operational availability of doctors. Private practice by doctors living within 20 km from the PHC does not seem to affect their operational availability. However, private practice by doctors staying >20 km away from their PHC may affect their availability.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Health Systems, HACA Bhavan, Hyderabad 500004,Andhra Pradesh, India. pmahapat@ihs.org.in
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thota
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011331:Private Practice; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D000078329:Workforce