Authors : Indrayani , Farid Husin, Amida S. Sarbini, Ari Andriyani, Dewi N. Sari, Fitrina Bachtar, Mardiani Bebasari, Meilinda Agus, Sitti Mukarramah, Mutiara R. Suseno, Raihanna Norfitri and Yunita Marliana
Abstract: The increasing rate of infant and maternal mortality has required that the government put specific measures in place to decrease it. Placing midwives in villages with the aim of raising the quality of health care, distributing health services more effectively and to attempt to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. Many problems were faced by village midwives impact to the non-optimal performance of them. This study is aimed at identifying the obstacles faced by midwives in villages as practitioners and the basis in the revision of village midwives program, in the hopes that midwives in villages would be able to contribute more effectively to reducing maternal mortality rates in the future. Twenty-two individual in-depth interviews were conducted in villages across six provinces in Indonesia from November to December 2013. The study explored the obstacles faced by village midwives in midwifery practice. There are many problems faced by village midwives in rural Indonesia such as autonomous midwifery skills, age and appearance, language and communication, licensing practice management, understanding of promotion, authority, workload, facilities and infrastructure, geographical factors, compensation and reward, traditional birth attendant and social tradition. The village midwife program is an effective strategy in reducing infant and maternal mortality rate but not the optimal role of educating and producing graduates and healthcare professionals. In making appropriate regulation, the government’s placement and monitoring of the performances of village midwives has had an impact on a previously non optimal role of village midwifery.
Indrayani , Farid Husin, Amida S. Sarbini, Ari Andriyani, Dewi N. Sari, Fitrina Bachtar, Mardiani Bebasari, Meilinda Agus, Sitti Mukarramah, Mutiara R. Suseno, Raihanna Norfitri and Yunita Marliana, 2017. The Midwifery Practice Challenges in the Rural Populations of Indonesia. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 11: 40-45.