Unresolved conflicts among obstetric care providers risk compromising maternal and newborn care, Mrs Racheal Hesse Matey warned at the Annual Health Conference held on 21 June at the Korle-Bu Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Accra. The Chief Executive Officer of MamaCare by Racheal said disagreements and failure to follow clinical protocols disrupt teamwork and patient safety.
“Sometimes, if there is conflict among the internal people and it is not resolved, the protocols that are supposed to guide us are not followed. This person is saying this, that person is saying that, and we are not coming to one agreement,” Mrs Hesse Matey said. She emphasised that such discord can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate interventions, and poor coordination, directly affecting pregnant women and their newborns.
The conference focused on maternal and neonatal mortality with a strong emphasis on the roles of clinical competence, professional conduct, and teamwork in improving health outcomes. Mrs Hesse Matey urged health facilities and training institutions to prioritise communication and prompt conflict resolution among staff, especially those sharing the same shifts.
She warned against tensions among colleagues, which she said often go unaddressed but have tangible consequences for patient care. “Tensions among staff working the same shift could affect patient care,” she said, calling for a culture that supports collaboration to prevent breakdowns in care.
Mrs Hesse Matey also addressed the need for continuous professional development among midwives. She said increasingly informed patients expect health workers to have up-to-date knowledge and skills. “Before they come to the hospital, they know the condition they are going through. Right from pregnancy, the woman is already reading about what is happening from week to week, month to month. So she is well informed,” she explained.
She linked gaps in professional knowledge directly to maternal mortality outcomes. “And if you don’t have the knowledge to care for your patients, then we are talking about maternal mortality,” she said.
The CEO of MamaCare by Racheal stressed that quality healthcare must be consistent and respectful regardless of a patient’s social background, financial status or appearance. She said every patient deserves appropriate care.
Mrs Hesse Matey also warned midwives and trainees about the distractions caused by excessive mobile phone and social media use during duty hours. She urged them to remain attentive to patients to maintain care standards.
The conference brought together health professionals to discuss practical challenges in maternal and neonatal care. Mrs Hesse Matey’s remarks underlined ongoing tensions within healthcare teams and the demands of an informed patient population, issues that influence outcomes at Korle-Bu and beyond.
According to Joy Online.
