Barriers to quality care during intrapartum in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

The primary interest of health care workers is the quality of care to patients. Midwives are expected to provide the best level of care for women in all stages of confinement and childbirth. Globally, companionship is becoming an important part of the quality care of women during intrapartum. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to quality care during intrapartum in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Quantitative, explorative and descriptive designs involving a convenience sample of 62 women from two different postnatal wards in Buffalo City were utilised. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Out of 62 participants, 56.45% did not have any knowledge of companionship and its advantages while 43.55% had knowledge. The largest age group that had prior knowledge of companionship before delivery was the 31+ year group. All participants within grades 1-4 education had knowledge about companionship. The age group of these participants was 31+. There were no participants within the grades 5-7 group that knew about companionship. Of the participants with tertiary education, 36.84% knew about companionship. Twenty-five (25%) of laboring women had no one to be their companion because of duty schedule and other 25% did not specify the reason but they were single. The study revealed that most of the participants did not know about companionship and some had different reasons for not knowing, but after delivery they felt that it was a necessity.

Keywords: Companionship, intrapartum, labouring woman, midwife.