scholarly journals What are the factors effecting utilisation of antenatal and postnatal care services according to mothers and health care workers in the Pwani region, Tanzania?

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 521
Author(s):  
Sanam Qasemzahi
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jatin Pandey ◽  
Manjari Singh ◽  
Biju Varkkey ◽  
Dileep Mavalankar

The health of people in a nation is a potential indicator of its development. Over and above that, the job performance of people involved in the delivery and facilitation of health care services within a nation reflects the actual health conditions in it. In developing countries, where a large chunk of the population lives in rural areas, the job performance of grass-roots health care workers gains significant importance in order to ensure effective and efficient delivery of health care services to the masses and marginalized communities. The present study takes the case of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in difficult rural areas of India to identify factors that affect their job performance and suggests interventions through which it could be enhanced. Fifty-five ASHAs were interviewed and five focused group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Additionally, triangulation was done by interviewing other stakeholders, while studying relevant documents. Through content analysis of these interviews and documents, this study identifies the demands, resources and stressors that affect the job performance of these important intermediaries in the health care supply chain (in the Indian context). The study also suggests policy-level decisions that could help in enhancing job performance of ASHAs by managing demands, increasing resources and reducing stressors. Key Messages We have developed a model that delineates the demands, resources and stressors that affect job performance of women workers in rural India. We have studied Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) who are part of community health care sector. However, our findings are applicable to a wider set of similar job roles. We have studied the nuances of factors affecting job performance for a category of community health care workers who are not full-time employees, have received minimal training and work in close proximity of their residence in a closely knit society. We have looked at job performance of ASHAs who are women community health workers, with low educational qualifications, based in rural setting of a developing country. We have recommended policy implications that would aid in enhancing the performance of ASHAs and thus improve the health care situation in rural India.


2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F. Oehmke ◽  
Satoshi Tsukamoto ◽  
Lori A. Post

The search for engines to power rural economic growth has gone beyond the traditional boundaries of the food and fiber sector to industries such as tourism and to schemes such as attracting metropolitan workers to commuter communities with rural amenities. A group that has been somewhat overlooked is retirees, who may wish to trade in urban or suburban lifestyles for a more peaceful rural retirement. An industry that has been neglected is the health care industry, which is the most rapidly growing industry nationally and of particular interest to retirees and aging populations. This paper examines the importance of rural health care services in attracting migrants age 65+ to rural counties in Michigan. Results indicate that the number of health care workers has a positive effect on net in-migration, and that this effect is large and statistically significant for the 70+ age group. Implications for rural development strategies are discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudra Khamis ◽  
Bernard Njau

Background: Quality of care is a complex issue influenced by many factors. It is fundamental in assessing health care delivery in health facilities in developing countries. Health care workers’ perceptions help policy makers and planners to identify bottlenecks in the system to improve utilisation and sustainability of health care services in the population. The objective of this study was to explore health care workers’ perception about the quality of health care delivered at the outpatient department in Mwananyamala Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted from April to May 2013.  Results: Health care workers’ mentioned extrinsic as well as intrinsic factors, which may influence the quality of health care services. Extrinsic factors included poor physical infrastructure, unavailability of medical equipment and/or essential drugs and poor staffing levels. Intrinsic factors mentioned were motivation for health care workers and workplace training opportunities.Conclusion: Multiple factors influencing perceived quality of health care Mwananyamala hospital have been identified to include physical infrastructure, availability of medical equipment and essential medicines, staffing levels, remuneration and promotion.


2022 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Garcia Lourenção ◽  
Jacqueline Flores de Oliveira ◽  
Francisco Rosemiro Guimarães Ximenes Neto ◽  
Carlos Leonardo Figueiredo Cunha ◽  
Sandra Verónica Valenzuela-Suazo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: Assess levels of career commitment and career entrenchment among Primary Health Care workers. Methods: This Cross-sectional study addressed 393 workers using the Brazilian versions of the Career Commitment Measure (CCM) and Career Entrenchment Measure (CEM). Results: Levels of Career commitment [75.5-77.5] were higher (p<0.001) than Career Entrenchment [66.7-69.2]. Identity levels [82.7-85.5] were higher (p<0.001) than Investment levels [60.4-65.0]. Career resilience levels [75.1-79.2] were higher (p<0.001) than Emotional costs [69.0-72.1]. Planning levels [64.2-67.1] were lower (p<0.001) than levels of limitedness of career alternatives [68.1-71.0]. Conclusion: The highest scores were obtained in Career commitment, showing the workers’ identification and positive relationship with their careers, that is, these workers remain in Primary Health Care services because they identify themselves with their professions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1939
Author(s):  
Vantaku Venkata Vijayalakshmi ◽  
K. Jhansi Padma ◽  
M. Madan Mohan ◽  
D. Manikyamba ◽  
A. Krishna Prasad

Background: Newborn care is an integral aspect of child health care practices. Globally 2.4 million children died in the neonatal period in 2019. Currently in India around 7.47 lakh neonates die annually. Advocating and adopting proper postnatal care of newborn in aspects of breastfeeding, immunization, warmth care, cord care, eye care etc will help in reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality.Methods: This was an hospital based cross sectional study of 100 postnatal mothers of babies admitted in NICU, in a tertiary care hospital. The knowledge of the mothers on various aspects of postnatal care was assessed by a pretest, followed by counseling and reassessment with a post test.Results: The study found that postnatal mothers had better awareness regarding breastfeeding, warmth care, cord care and oil massage. Poor knowledge was seen regarding eye care, immunization, recognition of danger signs and maternal nutrition and supplementation. Health care workers focused more on breastfeeding and warmth care practices than other aspects of postnatal care during antenatal counseling which could be a reason for this. A wide gap exists between contact with health workers and antenatal counseling. Knowledge gaps of the mothers improved significantly after counseling irrespective of their parity, education and location as seen by the increase in mean scores.Conclusions: Neonatal morbidity and mortality due to avoidable causes like hypoglycemia, hypothermia, sepsis can be achieved by practicing appropriate post-natal care practices. WHO recommendations on these practices should be widely propagated through frequent antenatal and post-natal counseling by health care workers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kusum K Rohilla ◽  
Arun Varghese ◽  
C Vasantha Kalyani ◽  
Neha Singh ◽  
Shalinee Rao

Abstract Background: Highly infectious diseases like COVID-19, which are rapidly disseminating and exceedingly contagious, require vital safety skills to be followed by all health professionals. These safety skills need to be taught to all individuals working in the health care sector, by qualified trainers. The present study describes the experiences of COVID-19 trainers who were involved in providing this intensive training to health workers, in a tertiary level institution. The hospital was providing services to COVID positive patients, as well as emergency and tertiary care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the participants in the study were high risk groups who were in direct interaction with COVID positive patients.Methods: The COVID-19 training program was conducted for more than three months, with the aim of training all the health care workers at a tertiary care institute, during the Corona virus pandemic. Twenty trainers, who had completed at least 30 or more sessions of training more than 2700 health workers, were included in this study. These trainers were interviewed for an average of thirty minutes per participant and were asked 30 open ended questions each. Results: The mean age of the trainers was 28.9 years, and 75% of them were females. The interview of the COVID-19 trainers highlighted four important factors, which according to them were the pillars of this successful and effective training program. These factors included: The use of video demonstration and simulation for the training; Regular updating of the skill of the trainers in this program; Ease of communication to address the challenges faced by the trainers; and strong administrative support for the training. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal that if health workers are provided a conducive environment for training, as well as full support for updating their knowledge and skills, they can provide optimal health care services to their patients and fellow healthcare workers, even during a challenging time like the COVID-19 pandemic. The trainers in this study provided training to all the health care workers of the hospital, who were posted in COVID wards, even at a time when everyone had the fear of contracting the infection.


Author(s):  
Idongesit S. Ukpe ◽  
Julia Blitz ◽  
Jannie Hugo ◽  
Ralph Nkosi ◽  
Thembi Mpangane ◽  
...  

Background: South Africa is one of the countries in the world with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB). High rates of unfavourable treatment outcomes have remained a feature of TB control in the country. The objective of the current study was to examine the treatment outcomes of TB among health care workers (HCWs) at a rural general hospital in the Mpumalanga province of the country, as well as the clinical care that was provided to the HCWs. The purpose of the study was to identify possible areas for improvement in the TB care services provided to HCWs in the hospital, especially with regard to their clinical management.Method: The research described in this article consists of a retrospective descriptive study. Relevant data on HCWs diagnosed with TB in the hospital during 2007, the TB care services offered to the HCWs, and the treatment outcomes of the HCWs were captured from the occupational health and TB control programme registers at the hospital onto a data capture sheet for the study and were subsequently analysed manually.Results: Nine HCWs, eight females and one male, were diagnosed and treated for TB in the hospital during 2007, an incidence rate of 941/100 000. Their ages ranged from 39 to 54 years, with a mean age of 48 years. By occupation, the nine HCWs consisted of six nurses (67%), one porter (11%), one general assistant (11%), and one clerk (11%). Of those treated for TB, seven (78%) had smearpositive pulmonary TB (PTB) and two (22%) had extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). TB culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST) was undertaken for only one HCW. The HIV status was known for only two (22%) of the nine HCWs under review. Neither of the two HCWs with EPTB had the diagnosis confirmed by bacteriological or histopathological method. The seven HCWs with smear- positive PTB achieved a cure, and the two HCWs with EPTB successfully completed treatment, resulting in a treatment success rate of 100% for the nine HCWs.Conclusion: The HCWs at Themba Hospital in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa who were diagnosed and treated for TB during 2007 all achieved favourable treatment outcomes. However, in view of the high rate of HIV/TB co-infection and the increasing problem of drug-resistant TB in the country, the clinical care provided to HCWs with TB by the hospital should be improved with regard to routine HIV counselling and testing and the routine early provision of DST. A protocol for the comprehensive management of HCWs with TB is currently undergoing development.


Author(s):  
Enwereji Ezinne E. ◽  
Ezeama Martina C. ◽  
Enwereji Kelechi O.

Background: The need for nursing students to care and support patients especially those living positively with HIV and AIDS as well as those with terminal diseases should not be underestimated. By training, nursing students are expected to interact cordially with patients and other health care professionals but most times, the reverse is the case. Inter-professional and interpersonal education prepare nursing students on clinical posting to provide quality health care services to all patients irrespective of their ages and health conditions. Therefore, creating healthy work environment by encouraging team work, integrating treatment and prevention services to promote good health is imperative in ensuring patients’ safety, and enhanced inter-professional relationship.Methods: A two-day pre-clinical seminar which centered on professionalism, teamwork, interpersonal and inter-professional relationships, as well as effective communication to guarantee healthy work environments was carried out. The pre-clinical seminar was also used to prepare 186 nursing students on their expected roles during the twelve weeks’ clinical posting in health institutions. At the end of the students’ posting, two days post-clinical seminar aimed to harness students’ experiences, views and performances, as well as the teachers’ observations during the clinical posting was conducted. Thereafter, all comments on performances, observations, experiences and other remarks from the teachers and students were grouped together and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.Results: A good proportion of the students 142 (76.3%) established good interpersonal relationship with the patients who are HIV positive while 135 (72.6%) had effective inter-professional interaction with health care workers. Also 135 (72.6%) had good team work relationship with other health care professionals. There were better health care services to clients as evidenced by 95 (51.1%) of students who shared case managements with the health care workers and 122 (65.6%) of the students who used mobilization and advocacy to identify pressing challenges like inter-professional conflicts, poor uptake of messages about treatment and referrals as well as malnutrition among children. A respectable number of the students, 144 (77.4%) collaborated with colleagues to provide nutrition to malnourished children to improve their nutritional status, while 75 (40.3%) assisted in resolving some inter-professional conflicts.Conclusions: Students’ initiatives in management of cases, inter-professional and interpersonal learning experiences during clinical postings increased students’ understanding of teamwork and professionalism as well as promoted friendlier environments that guaranteed better health care services to patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-210
Author(s):  
Nüket Erbaydar

Background: The mother-friendly care model and mother-friendly programmes are powerful responses to solve problems in maternity care services including high rates of caesarean section, low breastfeeding rates, and women’s rights issues. Aims: This paper describes the development and implementation of the mother-friendly hospital programme of Turkey. Methods: The Ministry of Health initiated the mother-friendly hospital programme in 2010. National mother-friendly hospital standards, guidelines and evaluation tools were developed. Implementation began in 2015. Results: Training activities were carried out to enable health care workers (e.g. physicians, midwives, nurses) to train staff of hospitals applying to the programme, and to evaluate and monitor their maternity services; 455 health care workers were trained. Participation in the programme is voluntary and hospitals apply for certification. To apply, the hospital’s caesarean section rate must be lower than the country average. As of January 2020, 73 hospitals have been certified as mother-friendly hospitals. Conclusion: As a practical implementation of the mother-friendly approach, Turkey’s experience may be useful to other health systems.


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