PATHS Final programme report: "Togetherness in Health" the Enugu ...

Procurement of Drugs and EquipmentThe poor provision of drugs and equipment within public health facilities had a negative impact onpatient attendance, with patients seeing little point in visiting facilities that were not able to providethem with what they viewed as the key essential for treatment, drugs.In Igbo speaking states, hospitals areknown as “Ulo Ogwu- House of drugs”In an effort to reverse this situation, PATHSworked in close collaboration with the HealthCommodities Procurement Project, another DFIDfundedprogramme, whose remit was to providedrugs and equipment. In September 2004 Enuguundertook an initial scoping exercise to determine the state of readiness of the facilities to receivedrugs and equipment. They were found woefully lacking. In 2005 an initial 21 facilities were selected tobe the first recipients of drugs and equipment. These facilities became known as the ‘Early Bird Clinics’.Local Government support was provided to get the facilities in a state of readiness to receive the drugsand equipment.The amount and type of equipment required was determined, along with the quantity and rangeof drugs. Orders were then placed with HCP. A first tranche of drugs and equipment was received inMarch 2006. A further two tranches of primary facilities were then selected along with the six districtand six faith-based hospitals, and further orders were placed. As of the middle of 2008, 100 facilitieswere due to receive drugs and equipment from HCP.Planned Preventive MaintenanceThe provision of planned preventive maintenance isessential if facilities are to be properly equipped andmaintained to the point where they can offer a reasonablelevel of care.“ An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure”Benjamin FranklinTo ensure that the substantial amount of equipment that was in the process of being provided byboth the Health Commodities Procurement Project and the Health Systems Development Programme,had as long a life as possible, the Ministry of Health recognised that it needed a system of PlannedPreventive Maintenance. The infrastructure that had been rehabilitated also needed ongoingmaintenance.Planned Preventive Maintenance is anestablished system by which infrastructure,equipment and vehicles are kept in as healthy astate of repair as possible through:••••Instruction regarding best practice of useRegular and planned monitoringActive maintenance to prevent breakdownSpeedy repair to prevent unnecessarydeterioration and decay42 PATHS Final Programme Report