Around 70% of the upazila health complexes did not have the pair of obstetric-gynaecologist and anaesthetist, required to ensure a safe comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care, a study carried out in 2012 found.
Consultants or medical officers trained in paediatrics were also absent in around 80% upazila health complexes, reads the ICDDRB study, published at a press conference in the institute’s Sasakawa auditorium yesterday.
Although an estimated 15% of mothers were likely to face severe complications during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum, a large number of pregnant women were not getting proper healthcare from the health complexes.
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB) also published a set of policy recommendations for strengthening the healthcare system for both mother and child.
Dr Mahbub-e-Elahi Khan Chowdhury, head of ICDDRB’s reproductive health unit, said the ICDDRB conducted a needs assessment study to identify the health systems gaps in both public and private sectors in 24 low-performing districts of Bangladesh.
The study was conducted from March to October 2012, in partnership with the UNFPA and with funding support from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
The ICDDRB found that in 72% of the districts covered by the study, pregnant women could access comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care facilities within a two-hour travel time and basic facilities within one hour.
Blood transfusion services were not available in more than 40% of the upazila health complexes that were designated to offer comprehensive services.
Although about 90% of the private facilities had Caesarean section delivery, one-third of these did not have blood transfusion services, which is essential to manage complications.
The study found that in public facilities for maternity care, there was a shortage of about 42% of the beds on current requirements.
Oxytocics, which are lifesaving drugs for preventing postpartum haemorrhage, was not available in 25% upazila health complexes.
Quality of care was also low for antenatal care, postpartum examination, newborn examination and post-natal care, as less than 40% facilities could follow the World Health Organisation’s recommended steps to perform these procedures.