Knowledge and Utilisation of the WHO Modified Partograph in Managing Labour: A Study Among Midwives in Bolgatanga Municipality

Abstract

The study looked at Knowledge and Utilisation of the WHO Modified Partograph in Managing Labour: A Study among Midwives in Bolgatanga Municipality. The study employed a mixed-method approach (concurrent nested design). The study population was 118 midwives from 32 healthcare facilities, one is a private hospital offering obstetric and midwifery care within the Bolgatanga Municipality. The study employed questionnaires, interviews, and observation to collect field data. The findings revealed that most respondents demonstrated in-depth knowledge of using the WHO-modified partograph of healthcare facilities in the Bolgatanga Municipality. However, a few respondents did not translate their skills on the WHO-modified partograph to the delivery room. This was exemplified by the fact that some used modified partographs were not recorded during delivery in all the facilities visited. It was also revealed that most midwives have a good attitude towards using the WHO-modified partograph at healthcare facilities. A significant challenge discovered during the study was the shortage of midwives, which influenced the use of the WHO-modified partograph in the various facilities in the Bolgatanga municipality. The study concluded that the modified partograph is essential for safe delivery and, therefore, recommended that the health facilities should encourage mentorship in addition to regular in-service training sessions to improve the knowledge of some of the midwives. It was also recommended that GHS increase the staff strength in the various facilities to ease the pressure on the midwives and foster the use of the partograph. In addition, there is a need for more outreach services to sensitise women to report early to the health facilities when in labour.