Effect of Procurement Lead Time on Healthcare Delivery at the Koforidua Regional Hospital

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Date
November, 2015
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Abstract
This has been a study to assess the effect of procurement lead time on healthcare delivery at the Koforidua Regional Hospital. This study used the purposive sampling technique to select the respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect data from sixty key and relevant personnel of the hospital. This study found that the main source of medical supply at the hospital is the central medical stores of MOH even though the hospital relies on other sources such as vendors and selected local/foreign manufacturing companies. It was also found that the number of inventory turns per year at the hospital was over 10 times and that the average procurement lead time for drugs and laboratory supplies at the hospital is within four (4) weeks. In relation to the second objective of the study, it was found that the factors affecting average procurement lead time are effective need identification leading to prompt reordering of medical and laboratory supplies; adequate and timely release of funds to the procurement unit; adequate knowledge of Ghana’s Procurement Act; motivating staff and seeking top management support and effective supplier selection. It was additionally found that the procurement lead time has a positive impact on the performance of the hospital’s staff as well as the overall performance of the hospital. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations made were that the hospital should have a service level agreement with its vendors and suppliers spelling out into details what are expected of them in terms of performance and that efforts ought to be made to guarantee that suppliers are mindful of the hospital’s needs and lead-time plan for medical and laboratory supplies are requested or ordered in great time to evade pointless interruptions, holdups and patient dissatisfactions. It is further advised that the management of the Koforidua Regional Hospital should share information since sharing can noticeably reduce inefficiencies in a supply chain, and therefore, can become a key factor for the hospital to achieve its benefits. It is finally advised that the central medical stores should be able to use innovative procurement models like framework agreements to ensure uninterrupted availability of health commodities at the central warehouse.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Procurement Management, 2015
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