International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 185 Vol.7; Issue: 11; November 2017 International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571 Original Research Article Spatial Distribution of Health Centers: A Study of District Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir) Javaid Ahmad Tali 1 , Divya S 1 , Asima Nusrath 2 1 Post-Doctoral Fellow, 2 Professor, Department of Studies in Geography, University of Mysore Corresponding Author: Javaid Ahmad Tali ABSTRACT Background: Distribution of existing healthcare centers is an important aspect in healthcare and decision making. Based on GPS survey the spatial disparity of health centers were measures by applying Location quotient and Lorenz curve. Though the facilities are good enough to serve the population of the district, but while analyzing the spatial pattern of these facilities at medical block level, the results revealed that there is unequal distribution of both primary health centers as well as sub-centers. Therefore it is necessary to find out the nature of spatial conditions and the estimation of medical facilities needed for a given population. It is essential to conduct such study which will help the people as well as the planners to determine the medical needs which will in turn enhance the optimal utilization of resources. Key Words: Health Centers, Population, Spatial Disparity, Distribution, INTRODUCTION Healthcare is defined as a program of services that makes available all facilities of health and allied services necessary to promote and maintain the health of mind and body. Healthcare in India is handicapped because it has to face serious crises in cost, quality of care and equitable distribution of modes and standards of service to the population as a whole. [1] Healthcare resources include practitioners such as physicians, nurses, health maintenance organizations etc. Spatial analysis is the geographical approach to understand inequalities in healthcare services. An important issue of equitable service distribution is the contrast between need for services and demand for them. [2] Access to healthcare requires that there is an adequate supply of health services available to a population. The availability of healthcare resources is measured traditionally using indicators such as the number of doctors or hospital beds per unit of population. The access should be distinguished between two components; initiation and continuation. [3] An important distinction exists between access to treatment and receipt of treatment. [4] Access depends on opportunities while receipt of treatment depends both on these opportunities and whether individuals have availed themselves of them. [5] The literature typically defines access to mean “Receipt of treatment”. Access is therefore a complex concept and it is widely recognized in the literature that access is a function of more than just the time and money costs in seeking health service. It includes income, specifying services, quality, personal inconvenience, cost and information. [6]