"Why We Deliver Elsewhere": Women's Preferred Places of Delivery and Their Effects

Despite the crucial role hospital assisted delivery plays in reducing maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates in Ghana, there continue to exit a gap between women who fully utilize antenatal care service but deliver outside the hospital. This study was conducted in Assin Fosu in the Central Region of Ghana, where maternal mortality rate is higher than the national average. It was to examine why women prefer to deliver outside the hospital. A qualitative approach was adopted to gather data through an in-depth-interview from 45 respondents. The results revealed that the use of TBAs and home delivery were preferred by some women despite the availability of hospitals because a number of them believed that institutional delivery was only aimed at women who experience obstetric complications. Attitude of public health workers and financial constraints were the two major factors that prevented women from accessing and using institutional deliveries.