Barnali Biswas, Piyal Basu Roy, Ankita Saha and Abhijit Sarkar
The locational disadvantage of a health-care centre often restricts adequate delivery of health-care services in an area. The purpose of this study is to examine the status of…
Abstract
Purpose
The locational disadvantage of a health-care centre often restricts adequate delivery of health-care services in an area. The purpose of this study is to examine the status of primary health-care services in such a geographically disadvantageous area which is confined by forests, tea gardens and undulating topography.
Design/methodology/approach
Necessary secondary data of 13 primary health centres and 236 sub-centres has been collected from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Based on obtained data, Health-care Infrastructure Index has been prepared which has been validated by an expert panel, and subsequently, the Thiessen Polygon method has been applied through Arc GIS software to show spatial variation of health-care services delivered by different health-care centres.
Findings
In the study area, there is wide variation found in the case of physical facilities, caregivers and connectivity of road networks, which altogether affect the overall status of health-care services. Among all the indicators, some health-care centres experience staff shortages for prolonged non-recruitment, inaccessibility and inconsistent patient load in different health centres.
Originality/value
In spite of the unfavourable geographical landscape, health-care centres have to be set up wherever possible. There is a need to make new roads and simultaneously the existing road connectivity should be improved so that patients and caregivers can move quickly whenever required. Existing physical facilities need to be renewed or redeveloped along with increasing the number of doctors and other health-care providers as per the need of people with an adequate and optimum level of services.
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Ankita Mitra, Arpita Saha, Shambhu Prasad Chakrabarty, Ripon Bhattacharjee, Sufia Zaman and Abhijit Mitra
The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) level of the rivers is a unique indicator of aquatic health. Decrease of DO values will adversely impact the biotic community sustained by the aquatic…
Abstract
The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) level of the rivers is a unique indicator of aquatic health. Decrease of DO values will adversely impact the biotic community sustained by the aquatic ecosystems. We analysed the DO level at six sites of the River Ganges adjacent to the megacity of Kolkata during the COVID-19 induced lockdown period in April 2020 and compared it with data collected from 2015 to 2019 without altering the sampling and monitoring protocols. The normal decreasing trend of DO during the time phase of 2015–2019 suddenly exhibited a sharp spike during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. The DO values hiked significantly during COVID-19 lockdown phase in all the stations with the spatial trend Botanical Garden (6.44 mg/l) > Ramkrishna Ghat (6.32 mg/l) > Shibpur Ghat (6.21 mg/l) > 2nd Hooghly Bridge (6.19 mg/l) > Princep Ghat (6.09 mg/l) > Babughat (5.79 mg/l). The data pattern confirms a straightforward improvement of water quality during the lockdown phase in the context of the DO level, which is congenial for aquatic biodiversity of the River Ganges at the local scale.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the choice of employment sector for women is driven by the structure of the labour market or determined by the household…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the choice of employment sector for women is driven by the structure of the labour market or determined by the household socioeconomic condition.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for the study were drawn from the National Sample Survey 68th round (2011–2012). The sector of employment was assessed through females’ participation as an unpaid labour, employer/own account worker, informal wage worker, formal wage worker and unemployed. A multinomial logit model was used to examine the factors that determine the sector of employment.
Findings
Although education increases formal employment among women, most of them are unemployed or entering into informal employment. It indicates that the labour market has not been able to integrate educated women into formal employment.
Research limitations/implications
Increase in female education accompanied by a slow growth of employment creates the challenge to accommodate the educated and skilled women in formal employment.
Originality/value
This study examines the factors determining the sectoral participation of employment to assess the responses of the current labour market for the females, especially educated females who have not been adequately addressed. The findings of the study have significant implications for formulating appropriate labour market policies for the educated female labour force.
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Ariful Islam and Sazali Abd Wahab
The informal segment compared to the formal segment is developing rapidly in urban areas of many developing Muslim countries. However, matter of fact, the contribution factor of…
Abstract
Purpose
The informal segment compared to the formal segment is developing rapidly in urban areas of many developing Muslim countries. However, matter of fact, the contribution factor of the food cart business to the economic outline of the country has been vastly overlooked or neglected. The authority, policymakers, social organisations, vendors and the customers together need to play a contributing role based on intervention tactics regarding the major focus areas related to the development of this business segment. As a result, this study aims to explore concerns or issues that are hampering future business prospects considering the philosophy of halalan tayyiba.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has organised 16 semi-structured interview procedures with relevant food cart vendors of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study selected participants (food cart vendors) from lower- to medium-income areas occupying at least one high school, one college in relation to several commercial premises (ex-mini shopping malls, offices and small factories) considering 6 out of 41 wards of Chittagong city corporation. All meetings with reflected participants were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and transcripts were loaded into NVivo for coding and analysis procedure.
Findings
This investigation revealed that issues with food security, weather, lack of proper legislation, lack of awareness related with halalan tayyiba and erratic policies are the major challenges for the development of the food cart business in Chittagong. This study also advances how street food security well-being and hygiene practices are a piece of the halal idea and should in this way be adjusted by the halal food segment to accomplish halalan tayyiba affirmation. The outcomes also indicate an agenda for future research in this area.
Research limitations/implications
More reflections from the different stakeholders do have both pertinence and potential for incorporation in suggestions.
Practical implications
The detected findings may help both authority and other concerned entities to identify the critical dynamics to initiate appropriate strategic activities towards local economic growth considering halalan tayyiba outlines.
Social implications
It will ensure social well-being and food security.
Originality/value
This explorative research is one of few studies in the Bangladesh context, which is investigating halalan tayyiba-oriented business development outline for micro entrepreneurs.