An evaluation of the design of maternity centers in Uganda; A case of the National Referral Women Hospitals

Abstract

Inter-disciplinary research between architecture and health care reveals that the built environment may worsen rather than enhance health results by disrupting inter-person communication and increasing patient and staff stress (Stichler and Kirk Hamilton, 2008). The same risk is encountered in maternity care provision, where it is suggested that the design of the maternity environment directly impacts the experiences and health outcomes for both birthing women and infants. The environment in which health care occurs has substantial effects on patient health and safety, effectiveness of care, staff efficiency and morale (Ulrich and Barach, 2006). Therefore, in order to attain maximum efficiency of maternity centers in the urban context, the built environment which stems from the site location all the way to the intimate and private spaces of the facility should be mindful of both the functional and the psychological needs of all expected users. This compilation has gathered knowledge on maternity as a journey with all its events and individual team players, the ideal design of maternity centers that looks at specifically vital spaces and their feel. While doing this, the research aimed at capturing both functional and experiential design strategies and how they co-exist. Using the ideal as the bench mark, the research goes ahead to critique the design of two selected existing maternity centers in Uganda. Pointing out successes and deficiencies in the functional and experiential design strategies used. From these studies, lessons and recommendations that can be consulted during the design of more efficient maternity centers in the Ugandan urban context have been drawn.