Ensuring quality obstetric care in rural Ghana: Shared experiences of obstetric care providers

Purpose: To explore care provider lived experiences with obstetric care delivery in rural Ghana. Methods: This interpretative phenomenological study utilised a semi-structured interview guide to collect data on care provider lived experiences with obstetric care delivery. Participants comprised purposively sampled obstetric care providers in selected health care facilities in the Northern Region of Ghana. Data processing and presentation followed interpretative phenomenological analysis procedure. Results: Findings reveal four superordinate themes: being persuasive, striving to provide quality care, using evasive mechanisms and subtle preventive schemes. These specifically refer to the use of alternative care, soliciting partner involvement, voluntarily donating blood, stocking essential items and drugs, refusing care in some instances and performing unconsented interventions. Conclusion: In their quest to provide quality care, obstetric care providers in some of Ghana’s rural health facilities adopt a mix of altruistic, innovative, excessive and unethical approaches most of which are driven by systemic failures. A government-community collaboration and commitment to quality maternal health care delivery is essential to improving health outcomes of rural mothers.