Logistical Drivers of Emergency Supplies and Service Delivery by Hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Emergency supplies are important and it is essential to make sure that they are not only readily accessible but also used rationally. This study sought to firstly, identify the logistical drivers of emergency supplies and secondly, to establish the relationship between the logistical drivers and the service delivery by hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study. The study adopted primary data which was collected using open and closed ended questionnaires. The target population was two hundred and twenty-two (222) which comprised of 150 pharmaceutical firms and 72 hospitals. Since the population was large, sampling was done and the sample size was 142 firms which comprised of 96 pharmaceutical firms and 46 hospitals. On the first objective, the findings established that the logistical drivers which are used fully by the hospitals were transportation, facility, storage, information system, inventory management, procurement and packaging. On the second objective, the findings indicate that transportation, facility, storage, inventory management, procurement and packaging all had a positive and significant relationship with service delivery of hospitals in Nairobi. Information system, material handling and forecasting were found to have a positive but insignificant relationship with service delivery of hospitals in Nairobi. It can be concluded transportation, facility, storage, inventory management, procurement and packaging positively and significantly influence delivery’s, responsiveness, reliability, flexibility, privacy, tangibility, lead-time and fulfilment rate, compensation and contract. From the findings, the study recommends that transportation, facility, storage, inventory management, procurement and packaging should be adopted as strategies by hospitals if they are to meet efficient service delivery. The limitation of study is that it only focused on hospitals and pharmaceuticals in Nairobi, Kenya and thus the results cannot be conclusive to other hospitals and pharmaceuticals firms outside Nairobi. The study suggests that other logistical drivers which were not covered in this study should be investigated to establish the extent to which they relate with service delivery.