1.1 INTRODUCTION
Service quality refers to the ability of a product or a
service to satisfy customers' needs. The quality of service provided by an
organisation is crucial in the way it can determine the competitiveness of an
organisation (Vanniarajan, 2010:1). Service quality and customer satisfaction
are two correlated concepts in the services industry and service quality can
influence significantly on customers' satisfaction. Customer satisfaction
results from the difference between customers' expectations of services and the
actual service performance. A customer is satisfied if services match or go
beyond his or her expectations and is dissatisfied if service quality does not
meet his or her expectations (Naik, 2010:240).
Customer satisfaction is often operationalised by asking
customers about their general satisfaction level with services received
(Olusoji, 2009:6). In the medical industry, the World Health Organisation
policy states that everyone should have the right to enjoy the highest standard
of health service quality without any race, religious, political belief,
economic or social distinction (WHO, 2007).Patients' views on service quality
are vital to enhance superior services that meet their expectations (Olusoji,
2009:17). Unfortunately, individuals seeking medical services in hospitals in
Gabon have often been passively receiving health care service. Their views on
how they regard service quality have often been disregarded. The health care
system in Gabon is mainly provided by the government. As a result, most of the
hospitals in the country are mainly public or government hospitals. There are
however also private institutions that offer medical services to the
population. The majority of the hospitals are located in the main capital city
of Libreville where diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, sleeping disorders,
and leprosy can be cured. However, health care services are often inadequate
and lacking in other parts of the country. As a result, patients often travel
to the main capital to seek better medical care (Health and Safety in Gabon,
2011).
The military hospital in Gabon in contrast, appears to attract
and provide good service quality to patients. It is a military owned medical
institution, located in the main capital of Libreville. Since its inauguration
in 2005, there has been an increased number of patients patronised by the newly
established medical care services. The hospital is
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equipped with high-tech medical equipment, and managed by a
range of qualified medical staff such as general practitioners, specialists,
surgeons and nurses. The military hospital has been delivering quality services
to the population and attracted lots of patients in recent years (Hôpital
d' instructions des armées, 2011).Given the fact that the military
hospital in Gabon has been attracting more patients, the study will be
comparing the views of patients regarding the service delivery by doctors and
nurses at the military hospital in Libreville in Gabon. It is worth to
establish a comparison of the service delivery by doctors and nurses, since the
investigation may help executives at hospitals as well as at government level
to assess and address aspects related to satisfaction or dissatisfaction of
patients. In addition, the research intends to promote strategies to enhance
satisfaction and services performance in health care systems (Mekoth et al.,
2012:16).
This chapter comprises of a background to the research
followed by the problem statement and a theoretical overview of the service
sector, services marketing in health care, service quality, as well as a view
on SERVQUAL as an instrument to measure service quality and patient
satisfaction. A literature on research methodology will appear at the end of
the chapter.
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