Factors affecting under-utilization of maternity room at Maliana Hospital, Timor Leste

MONIZ, Bourdaloue Fernandes, Prof. dr. M. Hakimi, SpOG, Ph.D

2009 | Tesis | S2 Ilmu Kesehatan Masyarakat

Background: Based on data, 61% pregnant women at Centro de Saude Community Health Center receive Antenatal Care (ANC) from paramedic, 56% from midwife, 3% from general physician, and only 2% from Obsgyn. Some facts show that pregnant women who do not receive ANC (more than 37%) are due to some reasons, such as living in the village that is far from the access of healthcare, coming from poor family, and having low level of education or even illiteracy. A survey presented a result that 5 years before the survey was conducted 90% of pregnant women had home delivery assisted by their own mother or mother in law and family. In addition, only < 10% of live births occurred in public health facility and only about 1% occurred in private facility. Method: This was a qualitative study. The result was presented by way of descriptive method since it was able to explore or produce in depth descriptive data concerning pregnant women’s belief and perception about pregnancy, the choice of delivery assistant and location, and factors that affected the low utilization. Result: Pregnant women’s perception about delivery showed that pregnancy was a natural process; therefore, it did not require any special treatment. Pregnant women also determined the location and the assistant of delivery. The low utilization of maternity room was determined by local culture, midwife’s attitude, geographical location that is far from the residence to hospital and inadequate promotion of health worker. Conclusion: Since pregnancy is considered a natural condition for each and every woman, it does not need any health professional’s assistant to assist delivery. Some women even assist themselves in delivery. Pregnant women have a right to determine who will assist them in delivery and the location of delivery. Generally, delivery is done at home assisted by traditional birth attendant. The low utilization of maternity room is caused by the strong local culture that from generation to generation delivery is assisted by traditional birth attendant and it is very difficult to erase this custom.

Kata Kunci : Utilization,Maternity room,Traditional birth attendant