Cost of Treating Maternal Complications among Mothers Attending Mekelle General Hospital in Mekelle city, Tigray, Ethiopia.
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Date
2019-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Introduction: Maternal costs, due to complications are very expensive kind of catastrophic cost expenditure which can put households into poverty. However data is not available in Ethiopian mothers. This study aims to asses the cost of treating maternal complications and factors associated with high out of pocket expenditure for the treatment among mothers in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the cost of treating maternal complications and factors affecting out of pocket spending for the treatment among mothers attending Mekelle general hospital.
Methodology: An institution based cross-sectional study design was carried on 267 mothers with complications in Mekelle Hospital. Study participants were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Multivartiate linear regression models at 5% level of significance with 95 % CI level was used to analyze the out come on SPSS version 21. Model of fitness was checked with Hosmer-Lemeshow test.
Results: The total median cost of the treatment was US$ 176.78 (IQR=80.18), of this the direct medical costs accounted for the largest proportion of total cost which is US$120.23 (IQR=43.33). The average of days absent from work due to the complication was around 5 days. Mothers with complicated cases also spend 16 hours on transportation and 14 hours for waiting time.
Conclusions and recommendations: The finding from the study indicated that median cost of complication treatment was high that could lead households to catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures.The overall median cost of complication was found to be significantly influenced by respondents monthly income ,number of laboratory test, number of days absent from their work, transport time and site of diagnosis (investigations in the private sector).To minimize the cost of complication, health insurance needs to be implemented in addition to the establishment of free maternal health service.
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Maternal Complications, Cost, Treatment, Mekelle General Hospital, 2019