A Dissertation Submitted to School of Public Administration and
Management (SOPAM) in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Award of
the Master Degree of Health Systems Management (MHSM) of Mzumbe
University
The main objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the measures
taken by NHIF on improving health services. The specific objectives were to
examine the extent has accreditation improved the availability of drugs, examine
level have loans helped to improve the laboratory services and renovation and to
examine the degree have monitoring and evaluation improved provision of health
services at the health facilities. The study involved 60 respondents. Both primary and
secondary data collection methods were employed.
The results indicate that, measures taken by NHIF contribute much on improving
health services. For example accredited facilities play a great role to improve the
availability of the drugs in the health facilities. Ninety, (90%) of the respondents
said that, accreditation contribute much to the improvement of health services in the
health facilities by ensuring that there are available drugs in the health facilities and
ensures constant supply of medicines in the health facilities. For example the made
available drugs in the health facilities through accreditation includes, Tracer lists
(essential medicines on which each health facilities must have) such as Amoxyline,
Alu, Amoxicillin caps , Co-trimoxazole tabs, Erythromycin tabs, Ferrous sulphate&
folic acid tabs Metronidazole tabs , Paracetamol tabs , Quinine tabs , Amoxicillin
suspension , Povidone iodine liquid 10% Adrenaline inj, Ceftriaxone powder
inj,Diazepam inj, Oxytocin , Quinine inj Qloves surgical and disposable.
The results also indicate that, loan has improved the availability of laboratory
services and renovation. For example majority of the respondents argued that, loan
obtained is used to purchase machines such as ultra sound machines x-rays machines,
Syringes, and other laboratory equipment. This implies that, the loan acquired is
used for the purposes of buying laboratory equipment and this improves laboratory
services. It was further revealed that, the loan was used for the purposes of increasing
the wards as well as the increase of beds on the said health facilities. With regards to
renovation, the study found that, adequate loan contribute much to the improvement
of renovation. For example renovation needs some amount to be injected so as to meet the said renovation. Therefore with regards to this the loan which is directed to
the health facilities plays a great role on improving renovation.
Findings also revealed that, though M& E plays a great role to improve provision of
health services at the health facilities the scale of it is poor due to several problems
such as difficulties in filling the forms, difficulties in writing codes, difficult system,
forms and codes and thus render the provision of quality services. Further that the
study found that, majority (53.3%) of the respondents said that there was no followup
of those problems.
Since loan plays a great role on improving health services by ensuring availability of
drugs, availability of laboratory services and improvement of renovation, it is here by
recommended that there must be enough and adequate budget dedicated on
improving health services in the health facilities.
Because of lack of monitoring and evaluation programs which has resulted to poor
provisions of health services, it is here by recommended that, there is a need to the
NHIF to commence follow-up programmes on the problems identified so as to so
come up with solution to the said identified problems.