Staff Conflicts in Maternity Wards Fuelling Preventable Deaths, Expert Warns Ghana

Interpersonal conflicts among healthcare workers in maternity units are contributing to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, according to maternal health expert Racheal Hesse Matey, who heads MamaCare by Racheal. Speaking at the Annual Health Conference on Maternal and Neonatal Mortality held at the Korle-Bu Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Mrs Hesse Matey highlighted how workplace tensions directly compromise patient safety and outcomes in delivery wards.

The expert explained that when obstetric care providers fail to resolve internal disagreements, agreed clinical protocols are abandoned. This breakdown in team cohesion leads to staff contradicting each other's guidance, causing confusion about appropriate treatment pathways. The consequences are severe: misdiagnosis becomes more likely, interventions may be inappropriate, and coordination among the care team deteriorates—ultimately placing pregnant women and newborns at unnecessary risk.

How Workplace Tensions Undermine Patient Care

When staff members working the same shift harbour unresolved conflicts, the quality of patient care suffers markedly. Mrs Hesse Matey stressed that such interpersonal breakdowns are not merely workplace inconveniences; they directly translate into clinical errors and delayed decision-making during critical moments in labour and delivery. A single moment of miscommunication or failure to follow established protocols can have fatal consequences for mothers and babies.

Beyond conflict resolution, the expert also raised concerns about the knowledge gap between modern patients and some care providers. Ghanaian women attending antenatal clinics increasingly arrive well-informed, having researched their conditions week by week throughout pregnancy and labour. Many understand what to expect during delivery based on online information and educational resources. Midwives and obstetricians who lack current, comprehensive knowledge struggle to meet these expectations and provide reassurance based on evidence, further eroding trust and potentially delaying appropriate care.

Mrs Hesse Matey cautioned trainees against allowing mobile phone use and social media to distract from patient care. She reminded healthcare students that every interaction with a patient matters and that divided attention during critical moments can have irreversible consequences.

Why It Matters for Ghana's Maternal Health Crisis

Ghana continues to face a significant maternal mortality burden. While the country has made progress in recent decades, preventable deaths remain unacceptably high, particularly in resource-constrained settings where teamwork and efficient protocols are essential to compensate for limited equipment or staffing. Many of these deaths occur not from lack of medical capacity, but from failures in communication, coordination, and adherence to best practices—precisely the issues Mrs Hesse Matey highlighted.

The expert's intervention underscores a critical but often overlooked dimension of Ghana's maternal health challenge: the human and organisational factors that determine whether available healthcare resources translate into actual safety and survival. Health facilities and nursing training institutions must now prioritise three interconnected areas: strong teamwork culture, transparent communication systems, and proactive conflict resolution mechanisms.

Additionally, Mrs Hesse Matey called for equitable healthcare delivery across all patient populations. She emphasised that every woman deserves quality care regardless of social status, financial means, or personal appearance. In Ghana, where socioeconomic disparities often correlate with healthcare access and quality, this reminder is particularly vital for reducing maternal mortality among vulnerable populations.

The pathway forward requires healthcare managers, clinical educators, and policy makers to view workplace dynamics and professional development not as peripheral concerns but as core safety measures. Investing in staff conflict resolution training, continuous professional development for midwives and obstetricians, and fostering collaborative team cultures could significantly reduce the preventable deaths that continue to claim Ghanaian mothers and newborns.