Participants and officials in a group photograph
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will begin the implementation of a logistics management system that will give the real time information on the utilisation of medical products, including vaccines, from April this year.
Named Ghana Integrated Logistics Management Information System, it would afford health directors at the regional headquarters and district levels the opportunity to monitor stock levels of medical products to enhance efficiency and reduce wastage.
“Together with Global Fund, we have developed a software that managers can use to know where all the medical stock levels are, what facilities are running out of stock and when it was replenished,” Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, Director General GHS, stated.
He further explained that when fully operational, health facilities at the CHPS level would also be able to access logistical information from their computer using the software.
“If you open your PC or laptop you will have access to stock levels, replenishment level, and how it is being used so that we don’t get unnecessary stock-outs and drugs and medicines expiring in large quantities,” he added.
The GHS boss observed that such a system is placed third after finances for infrastructure development and human resources when it comes to healthcare delivery.
Dr. Nsiah Asare hinted that the software has been installed and directors of the GHS are already undergoing training on how to use the system.
“By next year April, we hope to deploy it in every facility in this country from the CHPS to the teaching hospital levels,” he added.
He announced this at the opening of the GAVI/UPS Strategic Training Executive Programme (STEP) for supply chain managers of the GHS in Accra.
The programme would provide healthcare personnel with soft skills and competencies engrained in private sectors to enable them to effectively deliver their duties.
It would also improve participants’ general skills in people management, communication, project management, problem solving and personal/professional development, as well as provide specific management skills instruction.
Magloire Achidi, consultant supply chain at GAVI, who spoke at the opening, said ‘STEP’ has become an essential component of GAVI’s support to strengthen supply chain management in low income countries.
He, thus, pledged GAVI’s continued support to allow even more countries to benefit from improved management of health supply chains.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
