Women’s Experiences of Surviving Severe Obstetric Complications: A Study at 37 Military Hospital, Accra

ABSTRACT 

Women who survived severe obstetric complications (SOC) have health and well-being issues even up to one year postpartum as far as their quality-of-life (QoL) and well-being were concerned. However, health care professionals do very little to know what their predicaments are. The study objective described the impact of severe obstetric complications on their QoL and well-being. Using the WHO standards for near-miss, twelve (12) women who survived severe obstetric complications were recruited between January and March 2019. The study adopted a qualitative approach with an exploratory descriptive design to explore the experiences of women who survived SOC in the Accra Metropolis. Participants were purposively sampled and eligible participants who agreed to be part of the study were interviewed in their homes and others in the healthcare facility after discharge from 37 Military Hospital. Recorded interviews were transcribed and later analyzed using a thematic analysis. Four (4) themes and twenty-seven (27) sub-themes were formulated based on the study objectives and constructs of the theoretical framework used and, two (2) other themes and six (6) sub-themes emerged. The findings were inability to perform functional activities, financial constraints, residual hypertension, anaemia, pain, difficulty to sleep due to the sudden change in sleep pattern and fear of death when they fall asleep. Other findings include anxiety, sadness, and post-traumatic stress disorder. From the findings, there is a need for sequence of procedures to improve the care of survivors of SOC in order to minimise the liabilities that such complications impose on these women.