Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to find out midwives’ level of knowledge and
utilisation of the partograph in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Five public health
facilities within the Cape Coast Metropolis were selected for the study.
Quantitative cross sectional study design was adopted to collect data from 150
midwives at the maternity units of the five public health facilities. Univariate
analysis was used to summarize data in terms of frequency distributions of the
variables under study. The findings revealed that 78% of midwives in the
Cape Coast Metropolis have fair knowledge on partograph and why it is
necessary to use it in the management of labour. A significant percentage of
the midwives perceived that using the partograph would improve the maternal
and neonatal morbidity and mortality situation in the Metropolis. Over 97% of
the midwives reported that they used the partograph to monitor mothers in
labour. The study also found that the use of the partograph was affected by
factors like inadequate knowledge, lack of periodic training of obstetric care
givers on the use of new versions of partograph and lack of positive attitude
towards the use of the partograph charts. There was no significant difference
between the years of service and utilisation of partograph. The Cape Coast
Metropolitan Health Directorate needs to offer occasional orientation for all
midwives on the newer versions of partograph and their use. This will ensure
their maximum utilisation as intended by the World Health Organization.
