PATIENTS PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC, VOLUNTARY AND PRIVATE DISPENSARIES IN RURAL-AREAS OF TANZANIA

Eighty percent of rural dispensaries are run by the government and 19% by voluntary organisations that charge for some services, After the r e-legalisation of the private health sector in 1991, private dispensar ies are also emerging in villages, Privatisation is among the health r eform policies of the country, Moreover, cost-sharing will be introduc ed at public dispensaries soon. Perception of 320 patients in the Coas t Region of Tanzania on services delivered by the three health sectors has been investigated, Results show that patients are generally satis fied with the services and they would go back to the same dispensaries for treatment. Polydrug prescription was common in all sectors, while lack of prescribed drugs was a main complaint among public dispensari es patients. Voluntary dispensaries patients were less satisfied with long waiting time and with staff that did not give them enough informa tion about the treatment. Currently, health service in public dispensa ries is free but cost-sharing will be introduced soon, Most of volunta ry and private dispensaries patients stated that the fees for service were moderate, The paper discusses the need for monitoring the impleme ntation of cost sharing in public dispensaries to ensure equity in acc ess to services by rural patients.