Equity on access to health care services among COVID-19 cases and related deaths in Iran: a sub-national survey

Health inequalities can determine the risk of diseases and the measures employed to prevent and treat diseases when they occurs. The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in creating and reinforcing numerous health inequalities across the globe. This study aimed at investigating inequalities in access to health services in patients with COVID-19 and mortality caused by it at the provincial level of Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed all provinces of Iran for a number of hospital measures, including total hospital beds, ICU beds, the number of CT scans, and the number of specialists and nurses. To determine the effect of hospital infrastructure and facilities on death and hospitalization, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used. Multivariate linear regression was employed to determine the relationship and significance of the variables, and the Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve were used to measure inequalities in the distribution of facilities and infrastructures.