Conclusion
After a brief introduction to the GIS and its use in India in the field of social sciences and health studies, in the last part of this paper we tried to compare the spatial organisation of the healthcare system with the social and economic context in which it takes place. The results briefly presented confirm the relevance and the need for such an approach. The spatial angle used in our research gave us a rejuvenated knowledge of the social dynamics of the Delhi metropolis and of the healthcare delivery system. We were able to picture how they both adjust to one another. Moreover we raised the question of efficient metropolitan public health governance.
Still we have to be modest about the results we have presented. There are too many biases with regard to data and the spatial units for us to be completely satisfied. However, as mentioned previously, the main objective of this contribution does not lie in the analysis of the results but rather in the introduction to the GIS tool we developed. We especially wanted to share our own experience of developing a GIS in the context of a fast-growing Indian metropolis. Three main points have to be learnt from this project.
The first important issue is about feasibility. We faced many difficulties during the development of the GIS. The poor quality of mapping cover and the redrafting of borders in metropolitan territory can be dissuasive. The out-of-date data and sometimes the difficulty of procuring it can be discouraging for the development of the GIS. The “Urban Mapping Scheme” under the aegis of the Ministry of Urban Affairs will probably solve this problem in the future. As there were only two persons involved in the making of the GIS, time investment was intense. Still this project was a useful and challenging one. The results we presented are maybe not original in the field of urban studies or healthcare geography. But they provide a depth of knowledge of a territory, its dynamics and the problematic attached to it.
The second main issue is about the methodology. Thanks to a multiscalar approach and the data exploratory analysis, we tried to control and reduce the errors originating from our GIS. The results can always be balanced with a broader perspective. The changes of scale, through contextualisation, help to rethink a phenomenon in comparison with another. The GIS, by its ability to cross layers of information, allows us to shed a new light on the spatial dimension of different phenomena. In the last part of our paper, we aimed at presenting the potential offered by this tool, particularly for hypothesis formulation, and more broadly, its relevance for approaching the complexity in the social sciences.
Finally, the last issue is about the dissemination of results. Information technology development does not only offer new perspectives in the area of methodology but also in the area of communication of results. CD-ROMs, Internet can be a much more efficient media than paper. The shift of information from GIS to these media can easily be done. Using interactivity can help us to remind users that space matters in the explanation of social phenomena. Mapping presentation software gives the opportunity to users to experience by themselves the potential offered by GIS. More and more GIS projects (particularly the ones concerned with local development) are now integrating these tools. Thanks to Internet, fast updating and wide dissemination of information can be envisioned. Still, probably a lot more needs to be achieved in this area. We humbly hope this work has helped in reaching this objective and will motivate researchers and policy makers working in Delhi to bring together their datasets within a common framework.