Actionable strategies to scale up the triage practices of midwives in the maternity units of South Africa

South Africa (SA) lacks a standard triage system in hospital maternity units. The triage system is a process of prioritizing maternal patients based on the severity of their condition when they enter a health care system. It provides procedures for deciding on immediacy of treatment as efficiently as possible in the shortest possible time2. However, many midwives still admit patients on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, leading to cases where women give birth in the waiting areas. This contributes to poor maternal and newborn outcomes, and increases the risk of intrapartum malpractice3. As a result, public complaints about maternity care quality have risen, often leading to legal action.