Location Efficiency of Healthcare Facilities in Ikot Ekpene Local Government of Akwa-Ibom State: The Role of Geographical Information System (GIS)

Abstract

Given the effect of locational decisions on access and utilization of healthcare facilities in any society, the current study attempted an evaluation of the locational efficiency of available health facilities in Ikot Ekpene LGA with a view to ascertain the distributional pattern of the health care centers in the study area. It was discovered that health care centers in the area are randomly distributed but moderately concentrated in a few wards leaving more than half the area under-served. Using a WHO population/distance criterion of 1/4km, it is shown that only a small portion of the study area has effective access to healthcare facilities. Potential sites for location of additional health centers were suggested and the capability of Geographical Information System (GIS) in spatial planning and healthcare facility management is demonstrated