Assessment of Quality of Postnatal Care Services Offered to Mothers in Hospitals of Tigray Ethiopia, 2016

Almaz Berhe; Tsige Araya; Kidisty Tesfay; Alemayehu Bayray; Natnael Etsay; Gebreamlak Gidey; Solomon Weldemariam; Kidanemariam Berhe

doi:10.37591/rrjomst.v6i1.1225

Abstract

Each year, 287,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and about 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries. The first hours, days and weeks after childbirth are a dangerous time for both the mother and newborn infant. Postnatal care prevents the great majority of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. This study therefore, aims to assess quality of postnatal care services offered to mothers in Tigray health facilities, Ethiopia in 2015/16. A total of 123 midwives who are providing postnatal care during the time of study were observed while giving postnatal care. Human and material resources were assessed for provision of comprehensive and quality postnatal care in all the hospitals. All the facilities scored below 80% showing that the quality of postnatal care offered to clients in the hospitals of Tigray was poor and below standard. The mid-wives were responsible for managing the entire maternity care involving the antenatal, labor and delivery and postnatal wards thus no priority is given for postnatal care. The midwives in all hospitals did not take any training on postnatal care. Human and material resources were inadequate for provision of comprehensive and quality postnatal care in all the hospitals. The process of service provision which entails client monitoring and examination was not in line with the Postnatal WHO recommendation due to lack of essential equipment and workload. Therefore, to provide quality postnatal services to improve the maternal and neonatal health the government has to provide basic infrastructure for the hospitals. In addition, refresher training courses for midwives in maternal and neonatal health with emphasis on postnatal care are recommended. Keywords: Maternal and Neonatal Health, Quality of Postnatal Care, Structure, Process, Outcome Cite this ArticleAlmaz Berhe, Tsige Araya, Kidisty Tesfay et al. Assessment of Quality of Postnatal Care Services Offered to Mothers in Hospitals of Tigray Ethiopia, 2016. Research & Reviews: Journal of Medical Science & Technology. 2017; 6(1): 11–19p.