Patients applaud better service
An American-funded stock-control system is saving time and money at hospital pharmacies in Namibia.
The Facility Electronic Stock Card (FESC) introduced at the Oshakati Intermediate and Referral Hospital has resulted in tangible improved dispensing service at the hospital's pharmacy.
This was made possible by the US President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR), which invested N$6.6 million in FESC as well as the pharmaceutical information dashboard, which was launched in June last year in Windhoek and implemented at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital in September the same year.
Yesterday, the United States ambassador to Namibia, Thomas Daughton, visited the Oshakati hospital pharmacy where the pharmacy staff and patients commended the system for improved health delivery service since its introduction.
The FESC is an electronic stock management tool that simplifies pharmaceutical inventory management tasks using a computer. With FESC, pharmacy staff and managers monitor stocks of antiretroviral (ARV) and other essential medicines; compile a report of essential logistics information for effective planning. The dispensing staff can track the availability and use of pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies at health facilities.
The head of the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital pharmacy, Mesele Walellign, explained how the customer service delivery system had improved. He said the system reduced the time spent to assist patients, which in the past was as much as seven hours, to less than 30 minutes.
“Our service delivery has improved. We are now using an easy to manage system that keeps up-to-date information about pharmaceuticals and clinical items in stock. It is easy for our pharmacy staff to locate drugs and issue them to patients within a short period of time,” Walellign said.
Walellign also said the pharmacy has 11 pharmacists and six assistants who control stock of about 1 500 items.
Walellign said in the past, the government had spent a lot of money buying and replacing many drugs that expired while in stock because the dispensing staff could not locate the drugs. The system has also reduced government expenditure on overtime claims.
Patients hailed the system for drastically reducing waiting time. Queues are now a thing of the past and patients no longer have to sleep in queues as was the case before the introduction of FESC.
A pensioner, Olavi Shomongula from Ongwediva, described Oshakati Intermediate Hospital pharmacy as the most improved service provider he has used in his life. He said in the past, he would leave home very early in the morning in order to be served early.
“In the past you could come to the pharmacy around 09:00 in the morning only to be assisted around 16:00 in the afternoon. You always found the pharmacy crowded with patients from the previous day and who would have slept in the queues at the hospital. Now, there are days you go to the pharmacy and find nobody. It is now the best pharmacy,” Shomongula said.
Shoopati Veronica from Onawa village said for many years she used to collect her mother's medication and spent many hours at the pharmacy before getting assistance. She told Namibian Sun that since last year there had been a great improvement in dispensing services at the pharmacy.
After Okatana Health Centre unveiled its FESC system yesterday, there are now 50 health facilities in the country that are using the electronic stock management inventory. The system now is in use at all 35 district and referral hospitals, four health centres, six clinics and five clinics run by Walvis Bay Corridor Group and Namibia Planned Parenthood Association.
The medical superintendent for Oshakati Intermediate and Referral hospital, Dr Josephine Augustinus, said the pharmacy is responsible of 190 208 patients from Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana, Oshikoto and Kunene regions. About 3 000 patients visit the pharmacy on daily basis.
ILENI NANDJATO
This was made possible by the US President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR), which invested N$6.6 million in FESC as well as the pharmaceutical information dashboard, which was launched in June last year in Windhoek and implemented at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital in September the same year.
Yesterday, the United States ambassador to Namibia, Thomas Daughton, visited the Oshakati hospital pharmacy where the pharmacy staff and patients commended the system for improved health delivery service since its introduction.
The FESC is an electronic stock management tool that simplifies pharmaceutical inventory management tasks using a computer. With FESC, pharmacy staff and managers monitor stocks of antiretroviral (ARV) and other essential medicines; compile a report of essential logistics information for effective planning. The dispensing staff can track the availability and use of pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies at health facilities.
The head of the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital pharmacy, Mesele Walellign, explained how the customer service delivery system had improved. He said the system reduced the time spent to assist patients, which in the past was as much as seven hours, to less than 30 minutes.
“Our service delivery has improved. We are now using an easy to manage system that keeps up-to-date information about pharmaceuticals and clinical items in stock. It is easy for our pharmacy staff to locate drugs and issue them to patients within a short period of time,” Walellign said.
Walellign also said the pharmacy has 11 pharmacists and six assistants who control stock of about 1 500 items.
Walellign said in the past, the government had spent a lot of money buying and replacing many drugs that expired while in stock because the dispensing staff could not locate the drugs. The system has also reduced government expenditure on overtime claims.
Patients hailed the system for drastically reducing waiting time. Queues are now a thing of the past and patients no longer have to sleep in queues as was the case before the introduction of FESC.
A pensioner, Olavi Shomongula from Ongwediva, described Oshakati Intermediate Hospital pharmacy as the most improved service provider he has used in his life. He said in the past, he would leave home very early in the morning in order to be served early.
“In the past you could come to the pharmacy around 09:00 in the morning only to be assisted around 16:00 in the afternoon. You always found the pharmacy crowded with patients from the previous day and who would have slept in the queues at the hospital. Now, there are days you go to the pharmacy and find nobody. It is now the best pharmacy,” Shomongula said.
Shoopati Veronica from Onawa village said for many years she used to collect her mother's medication and spent many hours at the pharmacy before getting assistance. She told Namibian Sun that since last year there had been a great improvement in dispensing services at the pharmacy.
After Okatana Health Centre unveiled its FESC system yesterday, there are now 50 health facilities in the country that are using the electronic stock management inventory. The system now is in use at all 35 district and referral hospitals, four health centres, six clinics and five clinics run by Walvis Bay Corridor Group and Namibia Planned Parenthood Association.
The medical superintendent for Oshakati Intermediate and Referral hospital, Dr Josephine Augustinus, said the pharmacy is responsible of 190 208 patients from Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana, Oshikoto and Kunene regions. About 3 000 patients visit the pharmacy on daily basis.
ILENI NANDJATO
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