Types of ambulatory healthcare act by duration of illness and household income group: % (number of acts)
| Duration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income group | 1–7 days* | >7 days | Total |
| *Difference between poor and non-poor for the three main types of act χ2 p<0.05. †Herbal remedies prepared at home, often with purchased ingredients. ‡Finished drugs purchased from retail outlets or informal vendors. §Consultations at the commune health station or with village health workers. ¶Consultations with commune private practitioners, mostly retired public health workers at the assistant doctor level or traditional practitioners. ¶Consultations at the local hospital or its outlying polyclinic. | |||
| Poor | |||
| home remedies | 23 (109) | 23 (176) | 23 (285) |
| over the counter drugs | 45 (213) | 33 (255) | 38 (468) |
| consultations (total) | 32 (147) | 43 (329) | 38 (476) |
| commune public | 24 (110) | 22 (171) | 23 (281) |
| commune private | 7 (34) | 14 (106) | 11 (140) |
| state hospital | 1 (3) | 7 (52) | 4 (55) |
| Non-poor | |||
| home remedies | 28 (71) | 24 (80) | 25 (151) |
| over the counter drugs | 35 (90) | 32 (107) | 33 (197) |
| consultations (total) | 37 (97) | 44 (150) | 42 (247) |
| commune public | 26 (68) | 22 (75) | 24 (142) |
| commune private | 9 (24) | 12 (40) | 11 (64) |
| state hospital | 2 (6) | 10 (35) | 7 (41) |
| Total | |||
| home remedies† | 25 (180) | 23 (256) | 24 (436) |
| over the counter drugs‡ | 42 (303) | 33 (362) | 36 (665) |
| consultations (total) | 33 (244) | 43 (479) | 39 (723) |
| commune public§ | 24 (178) | 22 (246) | 23 (423) |
| commune private¶ | 8 (58) | 13 (146) | 11 (204) |
| state hospital¶ | 1 (9) | 8 (87) | 5 (96) |