Abstract

Background: Labor and childbirth represent one of the most vulnerable period in women’s life and ensuring the quality of care with respectful during labour and childbirth still remains challenging. There are activities to promote respect for women’s right, including respect for their autonomy, dignity; feelings, choices and preference however, little has been known about the elements of respectful care provided to women during labour and childbirth in health facilities. Respectful maternity care (RMC) is been neither reflected in pre-service curriculum nor mentioned in any policy document.

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to explore the attitudes, views, behaviors and emotional experience by women related to labour and childbirth and to describe women’s satisfaction with RMC during the process in three regional hospitals of Bhutan.

Methods: The study is Cross-sectional study with the sample size of 426 from Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu, Central Regional Referral Hospital (CRRH) in Gelephu and Eastern Regional Referral Hospital (ERRH) in Mongar. All women who delivered in November- December 2018 were included in the study until we got the required sample. The structured questionnaire used from survey (8 &10) and relevant literature sources were reviewed, finalized in our setting and was piloted in Bajo Hospital after approved by Research Ethics Board of Health (REBH). Descriptive analysis done and all the information gathered presented in the form of frequencies, percentages and number for categorical variables. Regression analysis shows the scientific significance in foul language (0.033) and scolding (0.020).

Results: Women had dreadful experiences. Overall satisfaction is excellent but views on the services still needs to improve on lack of communication, right for information and permission, dignity and privacy for the women because these are necessary for the service providers to provide to the women undergoing labour and childbirth.

Conclusion: There is need to improve on communication for information, permission, and policy for dignity and privacy for the women. Need to include in the pre-service curriculum for nurses and health workers and to provide in-service education on RMC to all health personnel providing maternity services.