Analysis of the Satisfaction of Women with the Quality of Maternal Health Services at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

The study examined satisfaction of women with maternal health services at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a sample size of 381 drawn from women attending ante-natal and postnatal clinic at the hospital using systematic sampling technique. Quantitative data was collected using a likert-type questionnaire and was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Data was summarized using descriptive and statistical analysis; the chi-square test was used to test the association between independent and dependent variables. Level of statistical significance was set at p< 0.05 (5%). Findings of the study showed that most (82.9%) of the women were satisfied with the quality of maternal health services. The age and marital status did not influence the satisfaction of women with maternal health care services, education and income influenced the satisfaction of the women with maternal health services. Staff adequacy, staff attitude and competence influenced the satisfaction of women with maternal health services at the facility. Availability, modernity and functionality of medical products and technology influenced the satisfaction of women with maternal health services at the facility. The study revealed that communication by the facility staff on the medical procedures and medication, communication of bookings, and timeliness of communication on treatment follow-up influenced the satisfaction of women with maternal health services at the facility. The study recommends the need for health staff to improve the empathy dimension in their work, improvement on the medical products and technology, from the availability, functionality and modernity, and improvement in service delivery with specific attention to women with higher incomes who reported lower satisfaction ratios compared to those with lower incomes. Keywords: Maternal Health Services, Socio-Demographic Factors, Satisfaction, Health Workforce Factors, Medical Products and Technological Factors, Information and Communication.