Direct Observation on Respectful Maternity Care in India: A Cross Sectional Study on Health Professionals of three different Health Facilities in New Delhi

Background-Poor quality of care at health facilities is a barrier to pregnant women and their families accessing skilled care. Increasing evidence of disrespect and abuse to women during institutional childbirth services is one of the deterrents to utilization of maternity care services in India. However little is known about how frequently women experience these behaviors. This study is one of the first to report the prevalence of respectful maternity care and disrespectful and abusive behavior at facilities by health professionals in selected Hospital of New Delhi. Method A quantitative non experimental research, using descriptive survey research design was used. Data was collected from sixty three health professionals from three different health facilities of New Delhi from the month of October November. Observational checklist was used based on RMC charter to collect the data clinical profile of postnatal mothers and the practices adopted by health professionals to the woman in labor and during delivery. Result In the present study findings showed that the practices adopted by Health Professionals with regard to Respectful Maternity Care We find that mistreatment of patients during labor and delivery (98 %) particularly verbal abuse (93 %) is relatively common and that this abuse has the potential to reduce patient demand for services. My findings are largely consistent with those from recent international studies of patient mistreatment in maternity services both in terms of the extent of abuse they describe and the triggers for abuse they identify. There is an observed discordance between patients and providers in types of abuse most frequently mentioned. The present findings where (100 %) no women was greeted by the health professionals, not encouraged to ask questions by health providers was (93 %) and no privacy or support during labor scored (100 %) and ( 76 %) respectively. According to standards mentioned in my study Standard VI Left without care ranked I in terms of not providing respectful maternity care or mistreatment, Standard II ranked II, in which right to information was not given, informed consent was not taken and preferred choice was not considered, then Standard VII Detained or confined against will ranked III, Standard III Confidentiality and Privacy ranked IV, Standard I Physical harm or ill treatment ranked V, Standard IV Dignity and Respect, ranked VI and Standard V Provision of Equitable Care, Free of discrimination ranked VII respectively. Conclusion-Efforts to use facility based maternity care for low socio-economic woman are unlikely to achieve the desired gains if there is no improvement in quality of care provided by health professionals especially for different elements of respectful maternity care. On the basis of the findings of the study.