Challenge

Dysfunctional Team and Low ANC Attendance

Salima District faced high attrition rates among health professionals, poor communication, and uneven workload distribution, resulting in a highly dysfunctional team. These issues led to late antenatal care (ANC) attendance and inadequate HIV ascertainment, increasing the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission

Approach

Transformative Thinking and Team Integration
The Salima District team underwent training in Transformative Leadership, recognizing the importance of human assets within a team. The initiative integrated twelve new managers, promoting frequent meetings to share information and solve challenges collectively. Data-driven discussions were used to evaluate the impact of changes introduced, initially met with resistance but eventually embraced as the benefits became evident.

Interventions

Key actions include:

  • Placing community service pharmacists in Mthatha depot.

  • Reassigning community health workers and re-purposing auxiliary workers as pharmacist assistants.

  • Streamlining ordering processes and requiring weekly stock reports from health facilities.

Outcomes

Within six months, medicine availability at depots increased from 54% to 95%, achieving targets ahead of schedule. This allowed the team to shift focus to maintaining adequate stock levels at health facilities.

Lessons Learned

  • Teamwork across functions and disciplines is crucial for system-wide interventions.

  • Engaging the right stakeholders creates an enabling environment for implementation.

  • Timely data reviewed by appropriate stakeholders drives accountability.

  • A systematic and structured approach aids in problem-solving.

  • Effective inventory management requires addressing both technical and behavioural components.

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  • Published On: October 6, 2020

    How Strong Leadership in Eastern Cape Improved Medicine Stock Availability

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