Volume 43, Issue 1, July 2024, Pages 28–38
Serge Kambale Sivyavugha1, Innocent Batumike2, Samuel Lwamushi Makali3, Rosine Bigirinama4, and Hermès Karemere5
1 Sciences infirmières, Institut des techniques médicales de Rutshuru, Rutshuru, Nord-Kivu, RD Congo
2 Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
3 Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
4 Ecole régionale de Santé Publique, Université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Ecole régionale de Santé Publique, Université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background: The emergence of several healthcare structures that comply with the health policy has been observed in many health zones in DR Congo, particularly urban ones. The aim of this study is to describe the proliferation of hospital structures in the Ibanda health zone (HZ) and to analyze the determinants of their creation, as well as stakeholders’ perceptions of the care offered by these structures. Methodology: A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted in the Ibanda Health Zone from June 2021 to February 2022. Data were collected through documentary review and interviews. A descriptive analysis of the characteristics of health facilities was carried out; but also an inductive thematic analysis was performed after the qualitative data had been transcribed and then coded through a tree of sub-themes grouped into themes. Results: The study revealed that the Ibanda HZ, has a total of 40 hospital facilities. Not only are these inequitably distributed within the health areas, but 45% of them are outside the administrative and technical control of the provincial authority. Many specialized services are absent from most facilities. The study suggests that the quality of care in the Ibanda HZ has improved over time, but that this quality is not the same in all facilities. Study participants report that the cost of care is high in relation compared to the financial capacity of households. For them, this explains this population’s recourse to alternative solutions such as self-medication or traditional medicine. Conclusion: The study recommends tighter control of the conditions under wich care structures are set up and run, and improved quality of service for the benefit of the community.
Author Keywords: Hospital structure, determinants, perceptions, Ibanda health zone, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Serge Kambale Sivyavugha1, Innocent Batumike2, Samuel Lwamushi Makali3, Rosine Bigirinama4, and Hermès Karemere5
1 Sciences infirmières, Institut des techniques médicales de Rutshuru, Rutshuru, Nord-Kivu, RD Congo
2 Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
3 Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
4 Ecole régionale de Santé Publique, Université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Ecole régionale de Santé Publique, Université catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
Original language: English
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: The emergence of several healthcare structures that comply with the health policy has been observed in many health zones in DR Congo, particularly urban ones. The aim of this study is to describe the proliferation of hospital structures in the Ibanda health zone (HZ) and to analyze the determinants of their creation, as well as stakeholders’ perceptions of the care offered by these structures. Methodology: A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted in the Ibanda Health Zone from June 2021 to February 2022. Data were collected through documentary review and interviews. A descriptive analysis of the characteristics of health facilities was carried out; but also an inductive thematic analysis was performed after the qualitative data had been transcribed and then coded through a tree of sub-themes grouped into themes. Results: The study revealed that the Ibanda HZ, has a total of 40 hospital facilities. Not only are these inequitably distributed within the health areas, but 45% of them are outside the administrative and technical control of the provincial authority. Many specialized services are absent from most facilities. The study suggests that the quality of care in the Ibanda HZ has improved over time, but that this quality is not the same in all facilities. Study participants report that the cost of care is high in relation compared to the financial capacity of households. For them, this explains this population’s recourse to alternative solutions such as self-medication or traditional medicine. Conclusion: The study recommends tighter control of the conditions under wich care structures are set up and run, and improved quality of service for the benefit of the community.
Author Keywords: Hospital structure, determinants, perceptions, Ibanda health zone, Democratic Republic of Congo.
How to Cite this Article
Serge Kambale Sivyavugha, Innocent Batumike, Samuel Lwamushi Makali, Rosine Bigirinama, and Hermès Karemere, “Proliferation of hospital facilities in the Ibanda Health Zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Determinants and perceptions of health stakeholders,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 28–38, July 2024.
