The impact of financial decentralization on the availability of non-drug consumables: a case study of Tafo, Suntreso and Kumasi South Hospitals.
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Date
2004-11-21
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Abstract
Before the introduction of financial decentralization, the health sector was practicing a centralized system of administration, which put authority in the hands of managers and persons at higher levels who were not better acquainted with local conditions especially concerning the availability of non drug consumables.
As a result client-centered care, which requires responsiveness to the needs and demands of service users, suffered.
It was against this background that financial decentralization was introduced in the health sector to offer solutions to problems affecting the availability of non-drug consumables (NDCs) in the facilities.
After, almost eight years of its introduction in the health sector, the assessment of the impact of financial decentralization in the area of availability of non-drug consumables in Tafo Hospital. Suntreso Hospital and Kumasi South Hospital, has been done.
The main objective of the study was to assess whether financial decentralization has ensured availability of non-drug consumables in the three facilities studied by ensuring involvement of managers and persons at the facility level, adequacy, quality of non-drug consumables as well as transparency and accountability for non-drug consumables.
Non-probability sampling methods, specifically purposive and quota sampling methods were used in selecting the respondents. In all 60 respondents, made up of 20 administrative personnel and 40 clinical personnel were used for the study.
Questionnaires, checklist and interview schedule were used in collecting data for this study.
However, the findings showed clearly that financial decentralization has ensured availability of non-drug consumables in Tam, Suntreso and Kumasi South hospitals. Thus, the implementation of financial decentralization in the facilities studied has led to involvement of personnel in the facilities studied to plan, procure and supply NDCs, ensure adequacy, quality, transparency and accountability of non-drug consumables.
Based on the findings, it is recommended that technical inspection of the non-drug consumables should be done using test devices and measuring equipments and also facilities should adopt the use of computers in determining the minimum, maximum and re-order levels rather than the use of tally cards, stores ledgers and human discretion.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science degree in Health Services Planning and Management, 2004