ASSESSMENT OFTHE SERVICE QUALITY OF FOCUSED ANTENATAL CARE AT HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN BAUCHI STATE

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Author

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Department of Medicine

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess the Service quality of focused antenatal care at health care facilities in Bauchi State. Five research objectives were stated: to determine the availability of material resources for focused antenatal care, to assess the capacity of human resource for focused antenatal care, to assess the quality services of focused antenatal care, to assess the focused antenatal care services utilization and to assess the level of clients‘ satisfaction with focused antenatal care services .A cross sectional descriptive design was adopted. A total of three hundred and eighty four pregnant women that attended antenatal care clinic in twenty two health care facilities in Bauchi State were recruited. Multi-stage sampling technique was used. The data collected using semi-structured questionnaire and observational checklist through face to face interview and audit observation check list during the period of first May to the end August 2016. Descriptive statistics was used. Donabedian Bruce quality model (1980) was adopted as a theoretical framework. The result revealed that: Eighty percent of the respondents were over 35 years old, 66% of them were Hausa/Fulani, almost half of them had secondary school certificate, and more than half of them had parity above six times. Eighty percent of the sample utilized focused antenatal care always. Only 43% of material resources in the health facilities were available and functioning. The human resources rate in the health facilities were 0.81, 0.5, 2.7 and 1.8 Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and CHEW respectively. The quality of care in the studied health facilities was 54.2% satisfactory. The total mean satisfaction was 2.3 /4 .It can be concluded that: there were inadequate material resources, shortage of human resources , high utilization of focused antenatal care services and the client satisfaction was little bit low . Recommendations: Government should Ensure adequate material resources for focused antenatal care services in each facility in Bauchi State, Ensure adequate health care providers to improve quality focused antenatal care services, Periodic In-service training ,monitoring and evaluation to improve the quality services, Health education for the clients to increase the awareness and the importance of focused antenatal care and Regular assessment of the level of clients‘ satisfaction is needed to improve the lacking areas