NEWS
In the quarter of July to September 2024, R4H made significant strides in improving healthcare delivery through the implementation of the optimized medical sample transport system in the 11 districts of Phalombe, Mzimba North, Rumphi, Lilongwe, Salima, Zomba, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Chikwawa, Blantyre, and Mangochi. Healthcare workers in various health centers are commending the system, for enhancing the efficiency and quality of medical sample logistics, ensuring quicker diagnostic results and better patient care.
Augustine Mamala, healthcare worker from Mbalama Health Centre in Mangochi, shared his experience: “Before the introduction of the Optimized Medical Sample Transport Program, we relied on scheduled days for couriers to collect samples from the health centers. Now, we use the USSD system to notify the couriers when samples are available, and they report for collection either on the same day or the next, depending on the time the availability of samples is reported.”
Brian Kumanda, an R4H Sample Transport courier, arriving to pick up medical samples at Salima District Hospital.
The OST system utilizes a USSD-based reporting mechanism, where healthcare workers (HCWs) report the number of clinical samples available for R4H courier pickup at the site each working day. The new system has empowered health workers to manage the sample collection process better, reducing delays and ensuring that samples are collected in optimal conditions for accurate laboratory analysis. R4H’s initiative supports the Ministry of Health’s efforts to improve healthcare logistics, particularly in ensuring that medical samples are transported promptly and remain in good quality until they reach the laboratory.
Alfred Kamwendo, health worker from Kadango Health Centre, commented on the remarkable improvement in turnaround times. “Before the optimized sample transport system, the turnaround time could reach up to seven days. Now, this has been reduced to 2-3 days, which is a big improvement. It has minimized the risk of sample compromission, especially for sensitive samples like sputum for Tuberculosis, which could easily get damaged before reaching the laboratory for GenXpert testing. The same applies to VL (Viral Load) samples – once results are ready, couriers are notified, and they promptly collect and transport them to the health centers.”
By ensuring timely transportation of samples, R4H has improved the challenge of needing to redraw blood and sputum samples due to deterioration, significantly enhancing the efficiency of health care delivery. This program has not only improved diagnostics but also reduced patient stress, as health workers no longer have to request repeated sample collection.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health, R4H is committed to continuously improving its services, striving to deliver quality healthcare logistics to all Malawians.
