Quality assessment of maternal health services provided by primary health care facilities in Qalyobia Governorate

ABSTRACT

This cross sectional study was conducted along a period of six months to assess the quality of maternal health services provided by primary health care [P.H.C] facilities at Qalyobia Governorate and to compare between the developed and the undeveloped facilities. All PHC facilities providing maternal health services in two convenient districts [Benha and kafr Shoker] in Qalyobia Governorate, were chosen to carry out the study. The quality was assessed by fulfillment of a standardized check list recommended by Ministry Of Health and Population [MOHP] guided with its categories, criteria and standards. Beside the assessment of the quality of the maternal health services [antenatal, natal and postnatal services] a number of general aspects have to be assessed as they are essential for the provision of any services; general resources, unit administration and lab. services. This study revealed that the majority of the PHC facilities at Benha and Kafr Shoker districts are developed ones and most of these facilities are rural ones. The majority of the developed facilities [80.77%] have fair and good Quality index [Q.I] grade of the general resources while the majority [73.33%] of the undeveloped facilities have poor Q.I. grade with statistically significant difference [p<0.05]. The majority [88.46%] of the developed PHC facilities and all the undeveloped facilities have poor QI grade of unit administration and lab. services with statistically non significant difference. All the facilities either developed or undeveloped at Benha and Kafr Shoker district provide poor grade antenatal and post natal care services. The developed facilities have higher Q.I values of the general resources, unit administration, lab. services and antenatal and postnatal services than the undeveloped facilities with statistically significant differences[p <0.05]. The undeveloped facilities showed higher non-compliance percentages with the criteria of the components of all the studied variables [general resources, unit administration, lab. services and ante natal and post natal services] than the developed ones. The differences were statistically significant [p<0.05] only for the furniture of general resources, special resources and process of the lab services and the special resources of the antenatal and post natal services. An immediate program to improve the quality of the provided maternal health services in Qalyobia Governorate is highly recommended