The evaluation of early initiation breastfeeding implementation in dr. Mohammad Hoesin Hospital of Palembang, Indonesia: Complaints and barriers

Article history: Submitted 17 April 2017 Accepted 28 October 2017 Background: Early Initiation of Breastfeeding (EIB) is a worldwide health demand of both mother and child. EIB programme implementation is the duty and responsibility of all health care practitioners, ranging from executive staff and manager, which haven’t runs well in dr. Mohammad Hoesin hospital. Aims: To identify opportunities and challenges of hospital management in running the EIB programme in Obstetric Department of dr. Mohammad Hoesin hospital. Methods: In this cross sectional study, all of birth mothers and health professionals were included. Samples were selected by purposive sampling. Data was obtained from the questionnaires which have been tested for validity and reliability. Results: Our study found disintegration of EIB implementation between the managerial and implementer staff. Most of EIB implementers (29 doctors and 14 midwives) stated that EIB was already done well but complained of low level of maternal EIB knowledge and lack of EIB practice support from hospital manager. While managerial staff (n = 12) blaming the EIB implementers worked attitude for this issue. Most patients (51,3%) performing EIB, while majority of no EIB group had abdominal delivery (p = 0,003) and complained that no EIB policy in operating room. Conclusion: At dr. Mohammad Hoesin hospital, EIB implementation faces challenges in managing the hospital, such no EIB policy in operating room, majority of patients are obstetric referral case with complication and unfit for EIB, managerial staff knowledge of EIB differ greatly, low socialization of EIB regulations and other elements of implementation, patient’s level of knowledge, disintegration between the manager and executive staff causing ambiguity in the implementation of the EIB, and the lack of supervision of EIB implementation in the field.