Determinants of Efficient Health Commodity Management in Maternal Child Health: A Case of Meru County, Kenya
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Date
2021-08
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Publisher
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications
Abstract
Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) has become a priority especially in developing countries like Kenya. However, access to obstetric and neonatal care has been hindered by lack of medical commodity, equipment’s and vaccines related to Maternal Child Health (MCH), resulting to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. The study is anchored in the health products, vaccines and technologies pillar of a health system. The
study seeks to establish the determinants of an efficient health commodity management in MCH in public health facilities in Meru County. Specific objectives were to establish the influence of i) logistic management information system, ii) medical staff competency, iii) inventory management, and iv) supply chain management practices on efficient health commodity management in maternal child health in Meru County. The study adopted a cross-sectional design with quantitative methods for data collection. The study sample was 116 health care workers from all public health facilities in Meru County. Results indicated that logistic management information system was positively and significantly associated with the efficient health commodity management in MCH (2 = 4.450, P=0.035). This implied that LMIS had a positive and significant association influence on the efficient management of health commodity in MCH services. Medical staff competency was positively and significantly associated with the efficient health commodity management of MCH (2= 7.0489, P=0.008).The study recommends the County
Health Department of Meru should i) invest in health information systems for quantification, forecasting reporting and procurement of medical goods and equipment; ii) conduct continuous professional education among health workers to ensure efficient management of healthcare commodities in the health facilities.
Child mortality rates which stands at 362/100,000 live births its major contributing factors lies to poorly managed commodities and health care delivery and little access to Reproductive maternal child health care services. Pastakia et al., (2018) stated that a reliable and efficient healthcare management system is dependent on having work force that has technical and administrative skills and experience and capacity to man it effectively.
Workforce challenges stretch an already overworked health system and reduces the opportunities to improve interventions that are needed to develop efficient health care system including an efficient logistic management system. Desale et al., (2013) noted that, in spite of the existence of a well-designed laboratory management information system (LMIS), the quality of reports generated from Daily Activity Register and stock cards were very
low. As a consequence of this there were regular stock outs of key commodities in many health facilities” A study by Bray and Awuah, (2019), showed that inventory management is important facet to commodity management, since systems of the inventory that are poorly maintained will lead to a negative impact that will severely affect the optimal delivery of service.
The broad objective of the study was to explore the determinants of an efficient health commodity management in maternal child health in government health facilities in Meru County. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of i) logistic management information system, ii) medical staff competency, iii) inventory management, and iv) supply chain management practices on efficient health commodity management in maternal child health in Meru County.
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Keywords
Efficient Health commodity management, logistic management information system, Staff competency, Inventory management, Procurement management practices.