An evaluation of the accessibility of community health facilities under public health emergencies: insights from the floor area ratio in Ningbo, China

Abstract

Urban management under public health emergencies is an issue that has been increasingly highlighted since the outbreak of COVID-19. Although the spatial inequities that exist within Community Health Facilities (CHFs) is a growing public health concern worldwide, no single study has yet identified the potential issues which constrain the utilisation of CHFs under public emergency scenarios within China. This study uses a quantitative case study approach to investigate the correlations between CHFs and development intensity in Yinzhou, Ningbo. Data, including OpenStreetMap, LocaSpace Viewer (LSV) and satellite images, was collected and analysed via Geographic Information System (GIS). The results of this study show that there is an urban–rural division in the development of CHFs, and that facilities possess limited accessibility where they border different administrative districts. We suggest that the ‘boundary effect’ of CHFs has been caused by changing standards in the building of CHFs and a lack of financial support in rural areas. It is subsequently recommended that a climate of collaborative governance should be established to reconcile the interests of investing in CHFs in different districts.

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