Table 2 Human and physical characteristics of the four selected health facilities

Number of pregnant women who attended in 2008 according to HMIS data

625

366

554

1150

Distance to district hospital

47 km

20 km

27 km

64 km

Employed staff at dispensary/RCH clinic (health centre)

1 clinical officer

2 nurse attendants

(1 nurse midwife had left for training)

1 clinical officer

1 nurse midwife (absent due to death in family)

1 nurse attendant

1 nurse midwife

1 nurse officer (absent due to illness)

1 Bwana Afya^a

2 MCH Aids

1 Bwana Afya (absent)

Laboratory available

No

Yes (plans to upgrade dispensary to health centre)

Yes

Yes

Access to main road

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ambulance available

No

No

Yes (but under repair at the time of the study)

Yes