A Study of Quality and Proficiency of the Service Providers in Delivering the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram Programme in Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Despite existing frameworks for the improvement of adolescent reproductive health, there is a lack in provision of the Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS). The primary objective of this study was to assess the quality and proficiency of service providers to deliver Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS) in central India. Data was gathered by visiting 30 secondary and tertiary level health facilities to assess their infrastructure and preparedness for providing AFHS using a pre-designed questionnaire based on WHO guidelines for assessing quality. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS v21 and Microsoft Excel. Quality of AFHS services was found to be poor in non- RKSK facilities. However the knowledge level, training status and counseling skills of the service provider was found to be highly substandard in both RKSK and Non-RKSK facilities. The RKSK program has not been properly implemented and has failed to make an impact where it was required.