Community-based referral transportation system for accessing emergency obstetric services in the Rohingya refugee camp during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: facilitators and barriers through beneficiaries’ and providers’ lens using a mixed-method design

Abstract

Abstract Background Delays in seeking timely maternity care from health care professionals are crucial to address among the Rohingya population where many preventable pregnancy-related deaths occur within the camps when care is not sought. To address the challenges related to the referral of emergency and routine Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) cases, United Nations Population Fund, through its partners, implemented a community-based referral transportation project called Referral hub. This paper presents the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of this referral transportation system from the perspectives of the beneficiaries and providers. Methods The research adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. The quantitative phase consisted of a survey among 100 women while the qualitative phase comprised of in-depth interviews with a total of 12 mothers who used the services and key informant interviews with 21 providers. Results The barriers identified for referral hub are discordant understanding of emergency, strict gender norms and practices, distrust in providers, poor roads and mobile phone networks. The facilitators are partnership with the community, within and other organizations. Conclusion The study observed that the referral hub has a high potential to increase the utilization of SRHR services. Despite the barriers, the facilitating factors show a scope of improvement for these services.