Improvement of health worker management

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 132 views

Introduction

Exclusive breastfeeding has a crucial role in supporting the body's endurance and providing essential nutrients to infants. However, the low awareness among mothers in Indonesia, including in North Sumatra, has resulted in a low coverage of exclusive breastfeeding. In the working area of the Binjai Village Health Center, the exclusive breastfeeding coverage only reached 37% of the target set at 80%. This study aims to identify the availability of input and management process in an effort to achieve exclusive ASI output programs at the Binjai Village Health Center.

Methodology

This study uses qualitative methods with in-depth interview techniques and observations. A total of 16 informants were involved in this study, consisting of the Head of the Puskesmas, the Coordinator of the Nutrition, Health Workers in the field of MCH, three Posyandu cadres, and ten mothers who had children aged more than 12 months. Sampling was carried out purposively to get relevant information.

Results

The results showed that the implementation of the exclusive ASI program in the Binjai Village Health Center was facing a number of obstacles. First, the absence of adequate lactation space is one of the factors that hinders this program. Second, understanding of health workers regarding existing policies is still low, so they have difficulty implementing SOPs that have not been well socialized to all officers. In addition, the availability of promotional media such as posters and banners that lack also reduce the effectiveness of extension about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Discussion

Based on the data, the achievement of program output in 2017 was 47%, but in June the following year, the scope only reached 37%, which indicated that the achievement of the program was not in accordance with the expected target. The exclusive ASI program management system has not been running optimally, seen from the availability of inadequate input, including the support of funds and infrastructure needed. The planning process that is less than optimal is also one of the causes of low program achievements.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is recommended that the Binjai Village Health Center improves the ability of the management of health workers. This is very important to improve the implementation of exclusive ASI programs. In addition, the Medan City Health Office is also expected to formulate a more assertive regulation regarding Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) for midwives and private clinics. With this effort, it is expected that the scope of exclusive breastfeeding can increase and in accordance with the desired targets, for the health of infants and children in the region.

Recommendations

Improvement of health worker management: The Binjai Village Health Center should improve the ability of the management of health workers to enhance the implementation of exclusive ASI programs.
Formulation of assertive regulation: The Medan City Health Office should formulate a more assertive regulation regarding Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) for midwives and private clinics.
Optimization of program management: The exclusive ASI program management system should be optimized to ensure the availability of adequate input, including the support of funds and infrastructure needed.
Enhancement of promotional media: The availability of promotional media such as posters and banners should be enhanced to increase the effectiveness of extension about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Limitations of the Study

This study has several limitations, including:

Small sample size: The sample size of this study is relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Qualitative methodology: The use of qualitative methodology may limit the ability to generalize the findings to other settings.
Limited data collection: The data collection was limited to the Binjai Village Health Center, which may not be representative of other health centers in the region.

Future Research Directions

Future research should focus on:

Large-scale study: A large-scale study should be conducted to increase the generalizability of the findings.
Quantitative methodology: A quantitative methodology should be used to provide more objective and generalizable findings.
Comparison with other health centers: A comparison with other health centers in the region should be conducted to identify best practices and areas for improvement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in supporting the body's endurance and providing essential nutrients to infants. The implementation of the exclusive ASI program in the Binjai Village Health Center was facing several obstacles, including the absence of adequate lactation space, low understanding of health workers regarding existing policies, and lack of promotional media. Therefore, it is recommended that the Binjai Village Health Center improves the ability of the management of health workers and the Medan City Health Office formulates a more assertive regulation regarding Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) for midwives and private clinics. With this effort, it is expected that the scope of exclusive breastfeeding can increase and in accordance with the desired targets, for the health of infants and children in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the importance of exclusive breastfeeding?

A1: Exclusive breastfeeding has a crucial role in supporting the body's endurance and providing essential nutrients to infants. It helps to boost the immune system, reduce the risk of infections, and promote healthy growth and development.

Q2: What are the obstacles faced by the Binjai Village Health Center in implementing the exclusive ASI program?

A2: The Binjai Village Health Center faces several obstacles, including the absence of adequate lactation space, low understanding of health workers regarding existing policies, and lack of promotional media.

Q3: What is the current coverage of exclusive breastfeeding in the working area of the Binjai Village Health Center?

A3: The current coverage of exclusive breastfeeding in the working area of the Binjai Village Health Center is only 37% of the target set at 80%.

Q4: What are the recommendations for improving the implementation of the exclusive ASI program?

A4: The recommendations for improving the implementation of the exclusive ASI program include:

Improvement of health worker management: The Binjai Village Health Center should improve the ability of the management of health workers to enhance the implementation of exclusive ASI programs.
Formulation of assertive regulation: The Medan City Health Office should formulate a more assertive regulation regarding Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) for midwives and private clinics.
Optimization of program management: The exclusive ASI program management system should be optimized to ensure the availability of adequate input, including the support of funds and infrastructure needed.
Enhancement of promotional media: The availability of promotional media such as posters and banners should be enhanced to increase the effectiveness of extension about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Q5: What are the limitations of this study?

A5: This study has several limitations, including:

Small sample size: The sample size of this study is relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Qualitative methodology: The use of qualitative methodology may limit the ability to generalize the findings to other settings.
Limited data collection: The data collection was limited to the Binjai Village Health Center, which may not be representative of other health centers in the region.

Q6: What are the future research directions?

A6: Future research should focus on:

Large-scale study: A large-scale study should be conducted to increase the generalizability of the findings.
Quantitative methodology: A quantitative methodology should be used to provide more objective and generalizable findings.
Comparison with other health centers: A comparison with other health centers in the region should be conducted to identify best practices and areas for improvement.

Q7: What are the implications of this study for policy and practice?

A7: The implications of this study for policy and practice include:

Improvement of health worker management: The Binjai Village Health Center should improve the ability of the management of health workers to enhance the implementation of exclusive ASI programs.
Formulation of assertive regulation: The Medan City Health Office should formulate a more assertive regulation regarding Early Breastfeeding Initiation (IMD) for midwives and private clinics.
Optimization of program management: The exclusive ASI program management system should be optimized to ensure the availability of adequate input, including the support of funds and infrastructure needed.
Enhancement of promotional media: The availability of promotional media such as posters and banners should be enhanced to increase the effectiveness of extension about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Q8: What are the recommendations for future research?

A8: The recommendations for future research include:

Large-scale study: A large-scale study should be conducted to increase the generalizability of the findings.
Quantitative methodology: A quantitative methodology should be used to provide more objective and generalizable findings.
Comparison with other health centers: A comparison with other health centers in the region should be conducted to identify best practices and areas for improvement.

Q9: What are the implications of this study for the health of infants and children in the region?

A9: The implications of this study for the health of infants and children in the region include:

Improved exclusive breastfeeding coverage: The exclusive breastfeeding coverage in the working area of the Binjai Village Health Center is expected to increase and in accordance with the desired targets.
Reduced risk of infections: Exclusive breastfeeding helps to boost the immune system and reduce the risk of infections.
Promotion of healthy growth and development: Exclusive breastfeeding promotes healthy growth and development in infants and children.

Q10: What are the recommendations for future action?

A10: The recommendations for future action include:

Implementation of the recommendations: The recommendations for improving the implementation of the exclusive ASI program should be implemented.
Monitoring and evaluation: The implementation of the exclusive ASI program should be monitored and evaluated to ensure its effectiveness.
Continued research: Continued research should be conducted to identify best practices and areas for improvement.