Practices of village midwives (‘bidan kampong’) in Brunei Darussalam: A qualitative study

Khadizah Haji ABDUL MUMIN

PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam and University of Michigan School of Nursing, Chicago, United States of America

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Local midwives in Brunei Darussalam, referred to as ‘bidan kampong’ locally, have been documented to have existed since the 1900s. However, little have been documented and published about their practice. This paper provides the first empirical evidence that documents how they acquired their skills and knowledge, and their scope of practices in Brunei. Materials and methods: A qualitative study through in-depth face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted with village midwives. Results: This study confirmed that village midwives are still in existence until the present day, albeit diminishing in numbers and restricted in their practices. The safety and hazards of their practices to women are not exactly known as the treatment and care are hugely based on nature such as plants, herbs, woods, spices, and fruits. Their practices are also strongly influenced by culture and religion in the wider community, and also within the different races in the country. In the contemporary time, their practices have undergone changes to keep phase with the needs of women. Conclusion: ‘Bidan kampong’ still exist to date and remain to give care for women during pre-conception, antenatal, postnatal, and women’s general health. Although their practices are not at the alarming state, there is a demand for research to confirm that their practices are safe for women. Since village midwives are well trusted by other women, there is also a need to examine if they can be of significant contribution and work together with the health care professionals in the promotion of women’s health in Brunei.

Keywords: Midwives, midwifery, birth attendants, traditional, Brunei

Correspondence author: Khadizah ABDUL MUMIN. University of Michigan School of Nursing #2249, 400 North Ingalls, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0482, United States of America

Tel: +1 734 358 3273

E mail: khmumin@umich.edu

Brunei Int Med J. 2015; 11 (2): 74-81