Addressing the maldistribution of health resources in Sichuan Province, China: A county-level analysis

INTRODUCTION: The equity of health resource allocation geographically is a contested topic. Sichuan Province, located in Southwest China, has varied topography, providing us with natural materials to explore the determinants of health resource distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spatial panel econometric models were constructed to explore the relationship between health resources and factors such as health care service demand and socioeconomic and demographic perspectives using data from Sichuan Province for eight consecutive years (2010–2017). RESULTS: Health care service demands were found to be a major driving force behind the distribution of health resources, showing that an increase in health care service demands draws health resources to specific counties and surrounding areas. From a socioeconomic perspective, gross domestic product per capita and the average wage show a positive association with health resources. In addition, the total population and proportion of the urban population have diverse effects in regard to health-related human resources but have the same effects on material and financial health resources. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the Chinese government with evidence needed to formulate and promulgate effective policies, especially those aiming to tackle inequity among different regions.