NEWS
Between July and August 2024, R4H’s Programs and MEAL team conducted a Spot Check and Data Quality Assessment (DQA) exercises across six districts of Chikwawa, Nsanje, Salima, Nkhotakota, Kasungu, and Chitipa. This exercise aimed to gather feedback from healthcare workers at 108 health facilities; 35 in the Southern region, 36 in the Northern region, and 37 in the central region.
Healthcare workers praised R4H couriers for their professionalism and effective communication. The couriers have been instrumental in the timely transportation of medical samples, reducing the Turn- Around Time (TAT) which was usually 3- 5 days to 2 days. According to Silida Mkokamasa, the Environmental Health Officer for MAFCO, the optimized sample transport system has significantly streamlined healthcare delivery. She highlighted the effectiveness of the USSD system used to report sample availability. The OST system uses a USSD-based reporting method, allowing healthcare workers (HCWs) to report daily on the volumes of clinical samples ready for pickup by the R4H courier at each site.
Lucy Chiyenda, R4H Country Director (L), Silida Mkokamasa- Environmental Health Officer (HEO) and Alice Mbozi- R4H Central Region Sample Transport Coordinator during spot check activity at Malawi Armed ForcesCollege (MAFCO) in Salima district
Mkokamasa shared an incident from the April-June 2024 quarter where a courier, collected Viral Load samples in the morning, and promptly returned later the same day to collect a newly reported TB GeneXpert sample through the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) system, ensuring swift transport to Salima District Hospital for diagnosis. She stressed the importance of timely sputum transportation for TB diagnosis in preventing spoilage and the need for sample redraws. Efficient transportation of TB samples is crucial as delays can compromise sample integrity, leading to inaccurate diagnoses and affecting patient outcomes.
Fatsani Salamba, an HIV Diagnostic Assistant at Thavite Health Center, added that in June, R4H couriers played a crucial role in urgently transporting Quality Controls (QCs) for Dry Tube Specimen (DTS) needed at the health facility. He further mentioned that when the USSD system is down, they use a WhatsApp forum to notify couriers, who respond promptly. Salamba pointed out that there is need for better coordination among healthcare workers to ensure no samples are left behind when couriers arrive.
These testimonials highlight R4H’s crucial role in overcoming challenges to ensure accessible healthcare in Malawi.
