Jambi – Most Jambi women still prefer to give birth with the assistance of traditional midwives instead of putting their trust in doctors, a survey has found.

The survey was conducted by the National Economic Census (Susenas) in July last year and the results were released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in Jambi.

Around 44 percent of the total 6,080 survey participants indicated they preferred to give birth assisted by traditional midwives, 49 percent preferred state-certified midwives and only 6 percent trusted doctors.

According to the survey, the largest number of people using the services of traditional midwives was in East Tanjung Jabung and Merangin regencies, at 61.84 and 61.27 percent respectively, while 73.38 percent of Jambi city women preferred the services of state-certified midwives.

Head of the Jambi BPS statistics and social affairs office, Nano Suharno, said the survey results this year were similar to 2006 survey results.