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The maternity waiting home concept: the Nsawam, Ghana experience
Author(s) -
Wilson J.B,
Collison A.H.K,
Richardson D,
Kwofie G,
Senah K.A,
Tinkorang E.K
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/s0020-7292(97)00162-8
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , government (linguistics) , focus group , intervention (counseling) , nursing , health facility , medical emergency , environmental health , population , health services , business , marketing , linguistics , philosophy
Preliminary studies: Focus group discussions with community members in Nsawam District, Ghana, identified poor roads, scarce transport and exorbitant fees for emergency transport as barriers to reaching the district hospital for treatment of an obstetric complication. Interventions: To minimize delay in the event of a complication, a maternity waiting home (MWH) was established in Nsawam in 1994. One ward of an abandoned hospital was renovated and furnished for this purpose. The objective was to encourage women at high risk of obstetric complications to move to the MWH so they could be transferred to the hospital when labor began. Results: Of 25 women referred to the MWH by health personnel over 12 months, only one complied, for one night. Focus group discussions with community members and hospital staff later revealed that cost and hardship of staying away from home, absence of health personnel, distance from hospital, desolate surroundings and lack of perceived need were reasons for poor utilization. Costs: The intervention cost approximately US $10 500, shared approximately equally between the project and government. The main government contribution was the building. Conclusions: It is important to consult potential users not only to identify problems, but also to identify appropriate solutions. Careful ‘market research’ should be done before launching interventions. © 1997 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics