There are generally very few health workers located in these areas, so the villagers must travel significant distances for medical attention. Often, local health centres are in a poor state of repair, with little or no medical equipment.

Medicines are often time-expired or incorrectly administered and is in any case usually too expensive for many families to afford. Gynaecological and childcare facilities are also poor with frequent misdiagnosis and excessive use of drugs to cure common problems, such as flu and colds. Lack of equipment means health centres often struggle to cope with emergencies and adequate and timely diagnosis is a widely reported problem.