Is quality maternal healthcare all about successful childbirth? Views of mothers in the Wa Municipality, Ghana

• Published in: PloS one 2021-09, Vol.16 (9), p.e0257401-e0257401, Article e0257401
• Main Authors: Baatiema, Linus, Tanle, Augustine, Darteh, Eugene Kofuor Maafo, Ameyaw, Edward Kwabena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Agricultural production; Childbirth; Childbirth & labor; Coding; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Delivery, Obstetric - methods; Evaluation; Female; Focus groups; Ghana - epidemiology; Health care; Health care policy; Health facilities; Humanities; Humans; Legal studies; Logistics; Male; Maternal health services; Maternal Health Services - organization & administration; Maternal mortality; Medical care; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mothers; Parturition; Patient outcomes; Patient Satisfaction; People and Places; Population; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care - economics; Qualitative Research; Quality assessment; Quality management; Quality of Health Care; Sustainable development; Treatment Outcome; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257401

In spite of the countless initiatives of the Ghana government to improve the quality of maternal healthcare, Upper West Region still records poor childbirth outcomes. This study, therefore, explored women's perception of the quality of maternal healthcare they receive in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region of Ghana. This is a qualitative cross-sectional study of 62 women who accessed maternal healthcare in the Wa Municipality of Ghana. We analysed the transcripts using the analytic inductive technique. An inter-coding technique (testing for inter-coding agreement) was employed. The iterative coding process resulted in a coding scheme with four main themes. We used peer-debriefing technique in ensuring credibility and trustworthiness. Logistics and equipment; referral service; empathic service delivery; inadequacy of care providers; affordability of service; satisfaction with services received; as well as experience and service delivery were the parameters used by the women in assessing quality maternity care. A number of gaps were reported in the healthcare system including limited healthcare providers, limited beds and inefficient referral system. Conversely, some of them reported that some healthcare providers offered empathetic healthcare. Contrary views were expressed with respect to satisfaction with maternity care. Government and all stakeholders seeking to enhance quality of maternal health and accelerate the attainment of the third Sustainable Development Goal need to reconsider the financing of service delivery at health institutions. Indeed, our findings have illustrated that routine workshops on empathetic healthcare are required in efforts to increase the rate of facility-based childbirth, and thereby subside maternal mortality and all adverse pregnancy outcomes.