I have followed with interest the ongoing discussion on quality of care in district hospitals. In my own experience one important tool is proper monitoring of patients and good registration routines during patient care, in addition to proper infrastructure. In a recent study, I with colleague assessed improvement of infrastructure for neonatal care in Mangochi District Hospital, Malawi. Compared to the old premises, neonatal mortality declined significantly in the new department that had more and better qualified staff and better space and equipment. Yet, despite improvement, the registration of patient clinical care and outcome was still deficient. There is a need to find ways how to constructively engage health care professionals in proper registration of admitted patients, e.g., with regular staff meetings and feed-back on what is being done in the department.
See Haraldsdóttir I et al. Assessment of improved neonatal ward infrastructure on neonatal health outcomes in southern Malawi. Journal of Global Health Reports 2021;5: e2021057. https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.24587
Geir Gunnlaugsson
Tjarnargötu 16
IS-101 Reykjavik
Ísland
tel. +354-843 6237
https://www.hi.is/starfsfolk/geirgunnlaugsson
CHIFA profile: Geir Gunnlaugsson is Professor of Global Health at the University of Iceland. He graduated with a medical diploma (MD) from this university with post-graduate training in paediatrics (PhD) and public health (MPH) at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Research and publications on, e.g., breastfeeding, infant and child mortality, child development and abuse, measles, cholera, and health systems in Iceland, Guinea-Bissau and Malawi. He was the General Secretary of ISSOP International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health in 2009-2017, and currently chairman of Africa 20:20 an Icelandic NGO to promote interest and knowledge on sub-Saharan Africa.
