Assessment of Essential Obstetric Care Services in Health Care Facilities in Benin City, Edo State

Abstract

Background: In Africa healthcare service delivery is a huge challenge. This is compounded by inadequate health care facilities, poor distribution and citing of health care facilities, lack of equipments and drugs to mention a few. This study was conducted to assess the level of health care facility preparedness to render basic and comprehensive essential obstetric care services to pregnant women, with view to encourage health facility deliveries and care. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study design was conducted involving 114 selected Health facilities using a health facility audit tool adapted from JHPIEGO safe mother hood questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical software with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: One hundred and fourteen health care facilities were assessed, comprising 36(31.6%) public and 78(68.2%) private health care facilities. Eighty eight (77.2%) of these health care facilities were well prepared, 14(12.3%), partially prepared and 12(10.5%) not prepared respectively for basic essential obstetric services while 88 (70.2%) well prepared, 30 (26.3%) partially prepared and 4(3.5%) not prepared respectively to render comprehensive essential obstetric care services. Private owned health care facilities compared to public health care facilities were significantly better prepared to render both basic essential obstetric care and comprehensive obstetric care (OR=0.111; p=0.002 and OR=0.082; p=0.01 respectively), with availability of skilled staff identified a significant predictor for basic (OR=0.042; p=0.0001) and comprehensive essential obstetric care (OR=0.015; p=0.001) respectively. Conclusion: Majority of health care facilities studied were well prepared to render essential obstetric care services but a lot more needs to be done to improve these services at the public health care facility level especially in relation to twenty four hour coverage and skilled man power needed to help improve maternal health outcome.