My name is Jeffrey, and I am the Pharmaceutical and Logistics Coordinator for Partners in Health’s (PiH) Neno/APZU site in the beautiful country of Malawi – the “warm heart of Africa.”
My first 4 months in Neno, Malawi have been a whirlwind. This blog is an attempt to PAUSE and relive the moments myself with you.
Brief History Lesson on PiH in Malawi:
In 2007, Malawi’s Neno district – a remote region located six hours south of the capital city Lilongwe – had a freestanding brick and mortar building as its District Hospital (DHO). In the time since, PiH Malawi has expanded the facility with wards, HiV/AIDS clinic, operating room, medical library, computer room, transport services, out-/in- pharmacy, and the POSER and Village Health Workers programs. PiH Neno/APZU also provides clinical and operational support for a neighboring hospital called Lisungwi Community Hospital along with 6 other health centers.
My New Home: the New Friendship House
PiH and its facilities are infused within the Neno community. Our headquarters is called Friendship House and is located approximately 100 yards south of the Neno District Hospital. PiH Neno/APZU also has a village for its staff and transient volunteers.
I live in one of the guest houses called the New Friendship House, along with my GHC co-fellow Fatsani Banda, and 7 other PiH volunteers. My house has a main hub furnished with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and patio, and an annexed cabin with two rooms and two bathrooms.
We are a tight community in the Guest House. We share meals – homemade ice cream, Mexican dinners from scratch, and of course the secret Chef Boy-Ar Jeff special. On the weekends, we enjoy hiking trips, cookouts, movies, and board games. Don’t challenge me to a game of Catch Phrase© … I hurt feelings.
The Friendship House: My New Office and Job
PiH Neno/APZU is the smallest site and has the least funding of all Partners in Health site.
Despite the shortage of resources, my co-workers remain enthusiastic and make work enjoyable. Every morning at 9 AM, I arrive at Friendship to bright smiles and an eager staff.
My primary work task is to assist Clinical Services and the PIH senior leadership with ensuring the procurement of quality drugs and medical technology. Our team of five manages an annual budget of $200,000+, stockpile our own drug store in Lisungwi, and coordinate operations such that the clinicians and Neno DHO pharmacists have medicine and equipment on demand.
Each day, I am usually involved with one of the following activities:
1) Procuring quotations and negotiating purchases from domestic and international vendors
2) Delivering medicine to the two pharmacies at Neno District Hospital and Lisungwi Community Hospital
3) Managing inventory of medicine and medtech in the drug store at our Lisungwi Warehouse
4) Reviewing resources and guidelines on Malawian clinical standards, international pharmaceuticals, and pharmacy financial management
5) Conducting cost-benefit analysis of our projects
6) Executing spot check of drug consumption at our seven health centers
My work has taught me the value of patience and keeping a positive attitude. I ignore the slow internet, frequent power and water outages, unpaved roads, etc. I create new ways to solve problems (even the most minute) and stay up very late in the office if need be. I am glad I have people around I trust and enjoy – it makes doing the work much easier. I try to hold the place to a standard and hope it continues to motivate my co-workers. And I constantly remind myself apathy comes easy when you’re someplace for a while – I am part of the new blood that needs to get things going.
My Challenges and Successes at Work
Pharmaceutical supply chain management is tedious business.
Multi-tasking and attention to detail are critical to ensuring patients get the best medicine timely and vendors do not cheat our patients. Rx “walk way” and corruption is rampant at the ministry-level.
Minor oversights and the broken infrastructure (rocky roads, lack of transport vehicles, etc.) have ruined entire consignments. For example, my predecessor shared a story of time in which he spent two months on Chemotherapy Rx delivery to only reject the items at pick-up because a transporter at the airport failed to place the Rx in cold storage (Chemotherapy meds must be preserved at a temperature of 2-8ºC).
Fortunately while I have been at PiH Neno/APZU, our procurement team has encountered tremendous successes. We have delivered over $70,000+ of lab equipment to TB Care facilities at twenty-one health centers in seven regions, revamped our tracking system of Rx and medtech, back-stocked both hospitals for the next six months, instituted a new procurement policy: “No Deals Unless We Negotiate a Price Cut by 20% ,” and obtained accurate inventory of our entire warehouse.
In the coming months, I would like to attend a procurement trip in Dubai to experience managing bulk purchases and visit other PiH and see how it addresses the issues we face.
My Leisure Time: Let the Good Times Roll
Time outside of work has been phenomenal.
My partner Fatsani is loyal and amazingly supportive at work. I have also learned to appreciate Malawian music and African pop songs because of frequent dance breaks we hold in-between our evening work sessions.
On occasion, I visit the other fellows in Lilongwe, Zomba, and Blantyre. We have explored most of the tourist attractions in Malawi. We visited an art performance by rehabilitating prisoners in Blantyre, vacationed at Cape MacClear in the Mufasa Lounge near Lake Malawi, and toured the Liwonde Safari. I also recently enjoyed Thanksgiving with the fellows in Kigali, Rwanda and Kampala, Uganda.