Readiness of Health Centers to Provide Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care in Eight Districts of SNNPR, Oromia and Amhara Regions of Ethiopia, 2013

Abstract

Background: The results from an Ethiopian national baseline assessment for Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) Performed in 2008 clearly shows poor access and utilization of EmONC services, very low critical life-saving servicesand poor quality of health care services as evidenced by high still birth rates in most regions of the country with the exception of Addis Ababa, Gambella and Somali. Methods: An institution based cross sectional descriptive study was conducted from March to April 2013 at 48 health centers in eight districts in Ethiopia. An interviewer administered questionnaire and observation checklist was used to col- lect standardized data from participating health centers that focused specifically on maternal and newborn health services at each of the facilities. Results: The majority of health centers, 95.8% (46/48) were open to provide labor and delivery service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, only 11.5% (47/410) of health workers in the study catchment area had previously received in- service training in Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC). The partograph was not used routinely to monitor labor in 48% (23/48) of the health centers. One fourth (12/48) of health centers had a vacuum extractor and/ or obstetric forceps for assisted delivery, but 3 health centers reported never having used this equipment. One third, 33.3% (16/48) of health centers had manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) sets to provide services related to abortion care. Magne- sium sulphate was available only in 10.4% (5/48) of health centers to treat a laboring mother with convulsions. Conclusions and recommendations: Results suggest that although the majority of the health centers participating in the study provide delivery services, quality of BEmONC services and availability of supplies and equipment were question- able. Most health centers don’t practiced administration of parenteral antibiotics, MVA, assisted vaginal delivery and other essential services. Effort should be made at all health centers across Ethiopia to increase the availability of essential drugs, equipment and supplies for the provision BEmONC service Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health, 2014, Volume 7(1), 11-21). Key words: Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care, Maternal health, Neonatal