LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN REGARDING MATERNAL HEALTH-CARE SERVICES IN RURAL BALOCHISTAN

Abstract

According to multiple national and international reports Balochistan is the most underdeveloped province of all other provinces of Pakistan. It is lagging behind in terms of education, development, advancement, awareness, health, health services and facilities and in many other spheres of the life. Maternity health and access to maternal health-care services is one of them. Balochistan is quite a sparsely populated province, depriving its inhabitant approach to the modern life facilities and avail job opportunities. The trouble is doubled further by its geographical hardships. The mountainous ranges, low-lying terrines, plateaus and distant and disperse population are the barriers impeding people to live easy and facilitated life. While keeping in view the panic situation this study was conducted to focus the hardships women face in the rural areas of Balochistan regarding their access to maternal health-care services. The study outlines alarming situation in this respect, and portraying the picture of no or very scant maternity health-care services in the research locale. Besides this the data resulted of the acute unavailability of health practitioners and shortage of medicines. The study further concluded that the far distances, geographical hardships, the socio-cultural stigmas and malnutrition for pregnant, antenatal and postnatal women were the other complexities exacerbating the women’s pain. The data was collected from the pregnant, antenatal and postnatal women through the female moderator.