Table 3.

Types of communication with base station for ambulance services during the study period

	Study Period
Type of communication	Pre-intervention	Post-intervention	Total
Radio message	46 (37.4%)	138 (87.9%)	184 (65.7%)
Courier by letter	29 (23.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.4%)
Telephone	4 (3.3%)	5 (3.2%)	9 (3.2%)
Verbal*	7 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)**	7 (2.5%)
Not stated	37 (30.1%)	14 ( 8.9%)	51 (18.2%)
Total	123 (100%)	157 (100%)	280 (100%)

^*When use of a CHAM ambulance was required, the midwives simply sent a word to the parish father to escort the patient to the referral hospital.

^**Although CHAM ambulances were still used in the post-intervention period (Table 5), the type of referral communication to parish fathers was not indicated. We suppose it was verbal, too.