Elucidating challenges and solutions in the maternal healthcare, identified by medical doctors in northern South Africa: a qualitative study

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 36; no. 376; p. 376
• Main Authors: Olseén, Carl-Johan Valentin, Mothiba, Tebogo, Skaal, Linda, Hansson, Stefan Rocco, Berggren, Vanja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda The African Field Epidemiology Network 2020; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; challenges; Clinical Medicine; Female; Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi; Health Resources - organization & administration; Health Resources - statistics & numerical data; Health Sciences; Health Services Accessibility - organization & administration; Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Interviews as Topic; Klinisk medicin; Male; Maternal Health Services - organization & administration; Maternal Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Maternal Health Services - supply & distribution; Maternal healthcare; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine; Organizational Objectives; Physicians - organization & administration; Physicians - psychology; Physicians - statistics & numerical data; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - organization & administration; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Pregnancy; Program Evaluation; Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology; Qualitative Research; Reproduktionsmedicin och gynekologi; South Africa; South Africa - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; sustainable development goals; Young Adult; South Africa; South Africa; Maternal healthcare; challenges; sustainable development goals
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.36.376.18544

as South Africa's maternal mortality ratio increased between 1990 and 2015, the country failed to reach the United Nations millennium development goal 5a. The maternal mortality ratio of Limpopo province is higher than the national average and previous studies report shortages of manpower and medical equipment in Limpopo province. The overall study aim was to elucidate views and experiences of medical doctors regarding maternal healthcare by identifying the challenges they experience and solutions they suggest.
a qualitative interview-based study was performed with ten medical doctors as participants. Manifest content analysis was used to analyze the data.
the main findings were categorized as lack of material and human resources, feelings of experienced isolation and solution-focused expressions. The challenges identified included logistical issues, staffing issues, demographic characteristics of the patient population, poor interinstitutional communication and lack of support from the administration. The solutions included revision of resource allocation and improvement of the interinstitutional cooperation. For example, participants suggested that exchange programs between hospitals could be arranged, that the emergency medical service personnel could triage patients and that private practitioners could be contracted to work at public institutions.
most identified challenges were related to a lack of resources. Based on their inside experience, the participants suggested several solutions. These firsthand accounts of the local medical doctors highlight the need for intervention and should be taken into account when it comes to improving the provincial healthcare and working toward achieving the healthcare-related sustainable development goals by 2030.