CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS' PERCEPTIONS ON PATIENT ACCESS TO PRADHAN MANTRI JAN AROGYA YOJANA (PMJAY) SERVICES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS OF ANAND DISTRICT, GUJARAT, INDIA: A SURVEY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Abstract

Background: Access to healthcare services remains a challenge in India. PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat) aims to provide health security to vulnerable populations. This study assessed healthcare workers' perceptions on patient access to PMJAY services in Anand district. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 79 healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, others including ANM, ASHA, health workers, administrative support) in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) across Anand district from [April- May 2025]. Data were collected via structured questionnaire with demographics, awareness, utilization, and barrier items. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) and chi-square tests for associations were performed using SPSS. Results: In the study the Mean age of our participants is 34±10 years; with 66% being female. The important finding includes that most of the workers reported "Very high/High" (82%, 65/79) laymen awareness of government health services; awareness of PMJAY in laymen was reported by 89% (70/79) of patients; however, 47% (37/79) reported "Often" financial delays in care-seeking. Documentation issues (34%, 27/79) and knowledge gaps (27%, 21/79) were considered primary barriers to PMJAY uptake. Notably, 94% (74/79) observed increased patient attendance due to PMJAY coverage suggesting the benefit of implication of the scheme. Conclusion: While PMJAY awareness and uptake are improving in Anand PHCs/CHCs, systemic barriers (documentation, knowledge gaps) and financial delays persist. Targeted awareness campaigns and streamlined enrollment processes are critical to maximize scheme benefits. Keywords: PMJAY, healthcare access, primary health care, India, cross-sectional survey.