The maternity waiting home concept: the Nsawam, Ghana experience. The Accra PMM Team.
BACKGROUND
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.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.
Wilson
J B
JB
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ghana Medical School, Korle Bu, Accra.
Collison
A H
AH
Richardson
D
D
Kwofie
G
G
Senah
K A
KA
Tinkorang
E K
EK
D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005869:Ghana; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000191:economics; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy