Equity analysis of hospital beds distribution in Shiraz, Iran 2014

Background: One of the important aspects of equity in health is equality in the distribution of resources in this sector. The present study aimed to assess the distribution of hospital beds in Shiraz in 2014.   Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the population density index and fair distribution of beds were analyzed by Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient, respectively. Descriptive data were analyzed using Excel software. We used Distributive Analysis Stata Package (DASP) in STATA software, version 12, for computing Gini coefficient and drawing Lorenz curve.   Results: The Gini coefficient was 0.68 in the population. Besides, Gini coefficient of hospital beds’ distribution based on population density was 0.70, which represented inequality in the distribution of hospital beds among the nine regions of Shiraz.   Conclusion: Although the total number of hospital beds was reasonable in Shiraz, distribution of these resources was not fair, and inequality was observed in their distribution among the nine regions of Shiraz.