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The Roles of Infrastructure and Resources on Implementation of Free Maternal Healthcare Services in Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya

Received: 6 December 2016     Accepted: 27 December 2016     Published: 20 January 2017
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Abstract

Free maternal health care services in Kenya was introduced on 1st June, 2013 and has increased the number of skilled deliveries significantly. In this paper an attempt is made to examine the factors associated with the utilization of free maternal health care services in Kenya on the basis of data collected from Machakos Level 5 hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Using both probability and non-probability sampling techniques; purposive sampling and stratified sampling techniques, a sample of 398 participants who received free maternal services at Machakos level 5 were recruited. A survey questionnaire and interview schedule were administered to women who had delivered in the hospital and interview scheduled was administered to health workers. The findings of the study showed that there is a recognizable relationship between hospital infrastructure and implementation of free maternity services in public hospitals. The study established that there is a positive and significant relationship between patient level of awareness and utilization of free maternal healthcare services. Awareness was sighted as a major structural variable that could influence decision of women to deliver in public hospitals, such knowledge should highlight on requirement and various point of service delivery all of which determined to a great extent the quality of free maternal health services in Kenya.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18
Page(s) 49-55
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Free Maternity Service, Resources, Infrastructure

References
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[2] Griffins and Stevenson (2001), Utilization of Maternal Healthcare Services in India, Understanding regional differences. University of Maryland, USA.
[3] Gage, A. J. (2007). Barriers to the utilization of maternal health care in rural Mali. Social Science & Medicine, 65 (8), 1666-1682.
[4] Bruce J. (1990). Fundamental elements of the quality of care: a simple framework. Studies in Family Planning 21 (2): 61-91.
[5] The World Health Organization. 2011. The Abuja Declaration: Ten years on. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/healthsystems/publications/abuja_report_aug_2011.pdf.
[6] Nicole Bourbonnais, 2013. Implementing free maternal health care in Kenya; Challenges, strategies and recommendations. KNCHR 6, November 2013.
[7] Johnson B. and Onwuegbuzie J. A. Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come. Health Policy and Planning 2007; 22: 167–177 doi: 10.1093/heapol/czm008.
[8] Mugenda, O. M. and Mugenda, A. G. (1999) Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Acts Press, Nairobi.
[9] Lubbock, L. A, Stephenson, R. B. Utilization of Maternal health care services in the department of Malagalpa, Nicaragua. Rev. Pnanam Salud Publica. 2008: 24 (2): 75-84.
[10] Shariff, A. and Singh, G (2002). Determinants of maternal health care utilization in India: Evidence from a recent household survey. NCAER, Working Paper Series No. 85. New Delhi: National Council of Applied Economic Research.
[11] Bosire Boniface, “Kenyan Hospitals Slow to Comply with Waived Maternity Fee Directive,” Sabahi, June 5, 2013, http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2013/06/05/feature-02.
[12] Kruk M, Mbaruku G, Rockers P & Galea S. User fee exemptions are not enough: out-of-pocket payments for “free” delivery services in rural Tanzania. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 2008; 13 (12): 1442-51.
[13] Albert, A, Anita, A. D, and Kwabena A. P, 2013. Factors Influencing the Utilization of Maternal Health Services: The Perspective of Rural Women in Ghana. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, ISSN 2161-7104 2013, Vol. 3, No. 2.
[14] Dzakpasu S, Soremekun S, Manu A, Asbroek G, Tawiah C, et al. Impact of Free Delivery Care on Health Facility Delivery and Insurance Coverage in Ghanas Brong Ahafo Region. PLos ONE. 2012; 7 (11), E49430. PubMed | Google Scholar.
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  • APA Style

    Otundo Denis Orare, Wangombe Ann, Muchiri Francis, Chimbevo Mwagambo, Ooga Westley. (2017). The Roles of Infrastructure and Resources on Implementation of Free Maternal Healthcare Services in Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya. Science Journal of Public Health, 5(1), 49-55. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18

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    ACS Style

    Otundo Denis Orare; Wangombe Ann; Muchiri Francis; Chimbevo Mwagambo; Ooga Westley. The Roles of Infrastructure and Resources on Implementation of Free Maternal Healthcare Services in Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya. Sci. J. Public Health 2017, 5(1), 49-55. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18

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    AMA Style

    Otundo Denis Orare, Wangombe Ann, Muchiri Francis, Chimbevo Mwagambo, Ooga Westley. The Roles of Infrastructure and Resources on Implementation of Free Maternal Healthcare Services in Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya. Sci J Public Health. 2017;5(1):49-55. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18,
      author = {Otundo Denis Orare and Wangombe Ann and Muchiri Francis and Chimbevo Mwagambo and Ooga Westley},
      title = {The Roles of Infrastructure and Resources on Implementation of Free Maternal Healthcare Services in Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {5},
      number = {1},
      pages = {49-55},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20170501.18},
      abstract = {Free maternal health care services in Kenya was introduced on 1st June, 2013 and has increased the number of skilled deliveries significantly. In this paper an attempt is made to examine the factors associated with the utilization of free maternal health care services in Kenya on the basis of data collected from Machakos Level 5 hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Using both probability and non-probability sampling techniques; purposive sampling and stratified sampling techniques, a sample of 398 participants who received free maternal services at Machakos level 5 were recruited. A survey questionnaire and interview schedule were administered to women who had delivered in the hospital and interview scheduled was administered to health workers. The findings of the study showed that there is a recognizable relationship between hospital infrastructure and implementation of free maternity services in public hospitals. The study established that there is a positive and significant relationship between patient level of awareness and utilization of free maternal healthcare services. Awareness was sighted as a major structural variable that could influence decision of women to deliver in public hospitals, such knowledge should highlight on requirement and various point of service delivery all of which determined to a great extent the quality of free maternal health services in Kenya.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AU  - Otundo Denis Orare
    AU  - Wangombe Ann
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.18
    AB  - Free maternal health care services in Kenya was introduced on 1st June, 2013 and has increased the number of skilled deliveries significantly. In this paper an attempt is made to examine the factors associated with the utilization of free maternal health care services in Kenya on the basis of data collected from Machakos Level 5 hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Using both probability and non-probability sampling techniques; purposive sampling and stratified sampling techniques, a sample of 398 participants who received free maternal services at Machakos level 5 were recruited. A survey questionnaire and interview schedule were administered to women who had delivered in the hospital and interview scheduled was administered to health workers. The findings of the study showed that there is a recognizable relationship between hospital infrastructure and implementation of free maternity services in public hospitals. The study established that there is a positive and significant relationship between patient level of awareness and utilization of free maternal healthcare services. Awareness was sighted as a major structural variable that could influence decision of women to deliver in public hospitals, such knowledge should highlight on requirement and various point of service delivery all of which determined to a great extent the quality of free maternal health services in Kenya.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

  • ITROMID, College of Health Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Mt. Kenya University, Thika, Kenya

  • Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya

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