How respectfully women are treated during difficult phase like childbirth? A primary survey of differently-managed health facilities in Odisha, India

Abstract

ObjectiveThe study was explorative in nature, implemented at hospital level to investigate how respectfully women are treated while accessing delivery care in the health facilities. MethodsA total of 115 differently-managed i.e. public, private and public-private partnerships (PPP) health facilities in Ganjam and Kandhamal districts of Odisha were selected to undertake this study. Three women each having given childbirth in the last six months preceding the survey in the sampled 115 health facilities were selected randomly to participate in the study. ResultsThe result presented a distinct picture wherein provision of respectful maternity care is not uniform for all the respondents included in the study. Management of the health facility remained as the major transpiring factor to providing respectful maternity care. Public health facility (ATT: 5.503) - which happened to be the largest service provider in the study population, affects respectful maternity care adversely. Contrary to this, women having accessed delivery care from the PPP facilities received more respectful maternity care. The private facilities whose number is mushrooming alarmingly at the present time also fails to provide the needed respectful maternity care to women during their difficult phase like childbirth. ConclusionWomen's memory of birth experience including any disrespectful and abusive care stays with her lifetime and affects her physical and emotional health. It may also discourage her to have institutional delivery – by which, opportunities may be lost to diagnose morbidities early that are associated with pregnancy and childbirth.