Rwanda’s Ministry of Health improves the delivery of critical medical supplies throughout the country by implementing an innovative electronic logistics management information system
In a ground breaking collaboration with US-based One Network Enterprises and its hosting and support partner, Imperial Logistics group company Resolve, Rwanda’s Ministry of Health has deployed a solution that is the first of its kind: a nationwide chain-of-custody pharmaceutical supply service for HIV/AIDS medications and other healthcare products. According to Resolves’ One Network business unit manager Trevor Lambiotte, this project shows how technology and often over-hyped concepts like “the cloud” can and will transform Africa’s public health supply chains.
Together with One Network and Resolve, and with the financial and strategic support of the Government of Rwanda, the Ministry of Health achieved this objective.
“We successfully designed, built and implemented a computerised logistics management information system that provides health commodity logistics data and order processing functionality,” states Lambiotte “It encompasses demand planning, supply planning, inventory management, transport management and reporting.”
As a result of this system, the Ministry of Health is able to manage and track in real time the custody and distribution of medical supplies as they flow from distribution centres, hospitals and clinics all the way to the community health workers. It has been implemented in the country’s central warehouses, 30 district pharmacies, 43 district hospitals, two referral hospitals and approximately 527 local health centres. These facilities are using the system to create, collaborate and manage purchase orders, as well as to record daily consumption. The transportation function in the electronic logistics management information system is also being utilised to optimise delivery. Lambiotte sums up the project:
“The Ministry has gained unprecedented visibility and control across its end-to-end supply chain, while reducing its total cost to deploy, maintain and support this supply chain. Reduced waste and improved efficiencies as a result of more efficient supply chain management are further benefits that will be realised. This system is expected to become the backbone that will support the efficient delivery of anti-retroviral-drugs and other critical healthcare products to the people of Rwanda.”
Read the full article: Rwandan Case Study
