Geospatial Network Analysis of Maternal Healthcare Access and Travel Impedance in South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal

Background: Geographic disparities in access to emergency obstetric care contribute heavily to maternal mortality. Spatial barriers often delay life-saving clinical interventions. Aims & Objectives: This study aimed to model the travel network impedance from localized population centers to tertiary and secondary referral health facilities in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Methodology: A secondary spatial data analysis was conducted for the South 24 Parganas district, bounded between 21° 29′ N to 22° 33′ N latitude and 88° 3′ E to 89° 5′ E longitude. Eight population nodes and five institutional health hubs were mapped. QGIS software v 3.36 was used to calculate travel time matrices using existing road and waterway network vector layers. Bed counts and local population densities served as core attribute variables. Results: The calculated travel costs from population nodes to the closest facilities varied significantly across the geographic landscape. The minimum travel impedance recorded was 19.55 minutes. The maximum recorded travel impedance reached 125.15 minutes. Remote deltaic sectors demonstrated extreme transit times to higher-order health facilities. Conclusion: Severe spatial constraints restrict healthcare access for maternal populations within remote hubs of South 24 Parganas. Targeted infrastructure investments and strategic placement of emergency obstetric care facilities are crucial to bridge these geographic gaps.