Final Year Project

Project Title

Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal and Newborn Health Services in Karachi

Description

My research uses Penchansky and Thomas’s Theory of Access and Saurman’s proposed dimension of awareness to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected access to obstetric services provided by private hospitals in Karachi. It covers the lockdown (third week March – mid August 2020) and the post-lockdown period in Karachi. Through interviews and document analysis of the Government of Pakistan’s Guidelines on Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health Services during COVID-19, the study explored the extent to which women’s access to these services was affected. It also explored whether initiatives such as helplines and online health clinics were successful in bridging the gap created by the pandemic, and how the provision of these services was affected. It concluded that a majority of women were able to access maternal and newborn healthcare during COVID-19, but with more difficulty than usual, and that most healthcare professionals/hospitals adhered to the Government of Pakistan/Federal Government guidelines. Online health clinics/sessions proved to be useful for women, however, most preferred in-person visits.