TITLE:
Medicine Procurement Framework for Public Hospitals under the Ministry of Health in Ghana: A Case of the Western Region
AUTHORS:
Godswill Domie, Samuel Dodzi
KEYWORDS:
Call-Offs, Essential Medicines, Ghana, Ghana Health Service, Medicines Procurement Framework Agreement, Ministry of Health, Public Policy Sustainability, Procurement, Quality Healthcare Delivery
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.11 No.5,
September
11,
2023
ABSTRACT: Medicine availability is one of the six fundamental
building blocks of any well-functioning health system. In Ghana, the Ministry
of Health (MOH) introduced the Medicines Procurement Framework Agreement (MPFA)
policy in 2017 as part of strategies to ensure an all-time availability of
essential medicines to improve the quality of healthcare delivery. The purpose
of this research study is to explore the views and opinions of health
professionals on the content, context, process, actors, and sustainability of
the Medicines Procurement Framework Agreement of the Ministry of Health, Ghana in the Western Region of Ghana and to identify strategies that will
help the key stakeholders to better understand the implementation problems and
to address them to ensure the sustainability of the policy. This study utilized
the traditional case-study approach to explore the key stakeholders’ opinions, views, and experiences on implementing and sustaining the
Medicines Procurement Framework Agreement. The main population of the study was
healthcare professionals in the public sector. The study sample consisted of
twenty-five healthcare professionals from six government health facilities in
the Western Region of Ghana. A qualitative methodology including non- probability sampling (Purposive and convenient), in-depth interviews, and
documentary review was the main method of data
collection. Data were coded and entered into Nvivo 7 statistical software for
content and thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze
demographic data and narrative analysis was used to describe respondents’ views, perceptions, and opinions with direct quotations to support the
analysis. Technical considerations such as improving equity, efficiency, and,
quality of healthcare delivery and minimization of administrative bottlenecks
associated with institutional base procurements provided the contexts for the
introduction of the MPFA; yet most healthcare
professionals are not fully aware of the content and context of the policy. The
study recommends strong stakeholder involvement to ensure ownership, interest,
and motivation in the policy.