Amistoso, G. D. (2017). Capacity assessment of health workers in promoting maternal health in Sarangani, Davao del Sur (Unpublished master's thesis). Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Graduate School of Public and Development Management Health Systems and Development Batch 1 Thesis (MPM-HSD)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

Improving the quality of maternal health services is an important part of the health system. According to WHO in 2009, in Draft Human Resources for Health, the ability to meet the goals of quality maternal care service delivery is dependent on the knowledge and skills, the motivation and deployment of the health care providers. Health outcomes and health care providers have direct and positive links. These reasons catalyzed the inception of a study on the capacity of health workers in the promotion of maternal health care in Sarangani, Davao del Sur. The study delved intensively into the maternal health status of Sarangani, Davao del Sur by trying to explore the capacity of the health workers in responding to the client's right to information, access, privacy and confidentiality, continuity, choice, safety, dignity, opinion and comfort. Needs and capacity of the health care workers in promoting maternal health were explored in terms of their capacity in management and supervision; handling of supplies, equipment, infrastructure and information, and training/development. A mixed method approach was utilized to gather data. A survey was employed for quantitative data which also targeted to recognize strength and diagnose weaker areas. For the status of maternal care delivery, quantitative data were gathered through key informant interviews and focus grouped discussions for all stakeholders. The result of the study has confirmed the perceived poor status of maternal care service delivery, in Sarangani, Davao del Sur. The data has shown the unresponsiveness of the health system to both the clients' rights and the providers' needs. Health care providers' needs were either partially met or not at all, thus making them ill-equipped to deliver maternal care services. With the identified gaps and inadequacy, quality maternal care is sadly unavailable, inaccessible and generally unsatisfactory resulting to the stakeholders' learned helplessness to this poor maternal care service delivery and for women to accept whatever care service is being afforded to them. Women were deprived of their right to quality maternal care. Stakeholders identified the barriers and enablers of quality maternal care, as well as their felt needs for improvement. Recommendations for improvement from the stakeholders were taken into consideration. With the findings of this project, it is imperative to take steps to capacitate the health care providers in order to improve maternal health in Sarangani, Davao del Sur.