Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread disruptions in child healthcare utilisation globally. We conducted a cross-sectional household-based survey between July 2021 and May 2022 in Chandigarh and West Bengal, India to understand the impact of these disruptions on healthcare utilisation patterns for acute and routine healthcare among caregivers of young children. Among 460 children enrolled, the median age was 13.6 months (IQR 6.7–18.3), and 49.8% were male. The majority of the participants (>90%) reported no problems in accessing routine healthcare or treatment for their children. Weight checks were conducted in 89.1% of all children and amongst age-eligible children, 94.9% received vitamin A supplements and 97.4% had received routine immunisation. However, only 14.3% and 42.9% had their heights checked and received deworming medication, respectively. Common issues faced while seeking routine healthcare services included the unavailability of height measuring scales (54.8%) and lack of awareness (50%). The ability to access healthcare services with minimal problems despite the COVID-19 pandemic is likely attributable to the study areas being served by tertiary care medical colleges and their outreach mechanisms. Models similar to these need to be adapted to cope with future pandemics.