Table 1.

Description of available health services in the study area in Sindh province, Pakistan

Facility type	Scope of service	Present	N (%)
Basic health units	Primary care outpatient facility	87	67 (77)
Rural health centres	Primary care outpatient as well as inpatient facility with 10–20 beds, x-ray, laboratory, minor surgery facilities	18	14 (78)
Taluka (or district) hospitals	Secondary level referral hospitals with 30–90 beds, ambulatory and inpatient care laboratory and surgical facilities; staff may include specialists such as a general surgeon, gynaecologist, and paediatrician and be supported by an anaesthetist	13	9 (69)
Teaching hospitals	Tertiary care facilities, subspecialty care	3	3 (100)
Private hospitals	Secondary-level facilities, few with subspecialty care	Not known	12
Total		121	105