Browsing by Author "Udedi, Evelyn"

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    Assessing the capacity of district hospitals in mobilizing and allocating resources after health care decentralization
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2020-09-16) Udedi, Evelyn
    qualitative cross sectional study aimed at assessing whether district hospitals have the capacity to mobilize and allocate resources in light of decentralization, in Kasungu and Nkhotakota District Hospital(s). Key informant interviews will be conducted using a flexible interview guide. b. The problem It is common knowledge that the delivery of efficient health services requires adequate and consistent availability of the right resources, be it human, financial, equipment or material resources. This is the more reason Malawi is a signatory to the Abuja declaration where it pledged to allocate 15% of the national budget towards the health sector. Over the years the Ministry of Health, has put in place various strategies to aid in resource mobilization for the health sector as a means to the Abuja declaration and one of such strategies is decentralization of the health care system. However, despite the positive gains that have been attributed to decentralization and health delivery systems, there still remains a gap in addressing the limits of decentralization vis a vie authority accorded district health management teams in health financing. In realizing this gap, this paper will look at how decentralization has capacitated District hospitals in mobilizing and allocating resources. This will assist the Ministry of Health through the Local Governments to address gaps in resources usually associated with less than adequate service delivery in district health facilities. c. The Objectives The specific objectives of the study are: i.To explore the capacity of the hospitals in revenue generation and availability of essential medicines and supplies. ii. To explore perceptions on hospitals human resources management regarding recruitment and retention measures. iii. To explore perceptions of health personnel on their autonomy in light of decentralization at district hospital. 16-Sep-2020. The study will employ a qualitative approach which will enable us to have in-depth understanding of the capacities of district health management teams in mobilizing and allocating resources within their districts. To have rich data on the perceptions of managers, key informant interviews will be conducted. Purposive sampling will be used to recruit 16 participants ranging from district health office managers, planning, administrative and finance managers from the district assembly as well as 3-4 policy makers at Ministry of Local government, Min of Health and Min of Finance/Treasury. e. Expected Findings and Dissemination It is anticipated that the study will generate findings that are well enriched with adequate data that provides a deep understanding of the subject and contribute meaningfully to the body of knowledge in health financing. We expect to determine whether capacitating district health managers with authority would result in more opportunities arising, improvements in resources such as essential medicine, equipment and supplies, noticeable changes in revenue generation, and human resource attrition trends due to decentralization. Final research data will be made available to other interested investigators, and stakeholders. It is the intention of the investigator to submit findings to peer-reviewed journals, present at national and international forums, and hold dissemination meetings amongst important stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, through the District Health Office and the Ministry Local Government through the District Councils.