A qualitative exploration of indigenous women’s experiences seeking obstetric care and the possibilities of intercultural medicine in Hospital San Antonio de Mitú, Vaupés

Abstract

The department of Vaupés in the Amazon region of Colombia accounts for some of the worst health indicators in the country. The majority of its population is indigenous, but the public health system available in the region is based on a decontextualized biomedical model that has been in place in Colombia since the health reform of 1993. The current health system has proved insufficient to address indigenous health realities, leading to poor access to health services, culturally incongruent hospital practices, and, ultimately, worrisome maternal-child indicators. This research focuses on understanding indigenous women’s ideas and practices of obstetric health, their decision-making processes regarding seeking hospital care, and the experiences they had when they did decide to visit the hospital (Hospital San Antonio de Mitú), focusing on the main barriers they face when attempting to access health care services. A qualitative study was conducted during June to September of 2022, which included participant observation in five communities and Hospital San Antonio de Mitú, in-depth interviews with five indigenous mothers, two indigenous healers, and the hospital manager, two focus groups with indigenous parents, and one focus group with hospital providers. Two sets of themes emerged from the data: the cultural clashes between indigenous health models and the biomedical model, and the logistical barriers that indigenous women face when trying to access the hospital.