Assessing community-driven healthcare schemes: evidence from villages of Leng, Lungdai and Nisapui in Mizoram, India

This study examines the functioning, governance, and impact of community-based health care schemes in three villages of Mizoram: Leng, Nisapui, and Lungdai. Employing qualitative methods, primary data were collected through structured personal interviews and focus group discussions with Village Council members, scheme beneficiaries, and other local stakeholders. The research highlights the unique features of each scheme, including financial management, enrolment criteria, claim procedures, record-keeping practices, and civil society participation. Findings reveal that while all three schemes provide crucial financial support for hospitalization and enhance access to health services in rural areas, differences exist in governance structures, initial funding, external audits, and reimbursement procedures. Beneficiaries report that the schemes are largely beneficial and fair, though improvements are needed in technological adoption, financial literacy, and medical verification. The study underscores the importance of local self-governance, community participation, and collective responsibility in sustaining grassroots health protection mechanisms, and offers recommendations for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and scalability of such schemes across rural Mizoram.