2008 Kenya Fellowship

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The Need
In countries where pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and other supplies are difficult to acquire on a regular basis, medical products donation becomes the major means of obtaining these critical commodities. The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD) www.pqmd.org estimates that in countries where medical products are in short supply, medical donations account for more than half of all medical supplies. Even in developed countries, where there is better and easier access to obtain medical supplies, medical donations are needed in special circumstances such as natural disaster response e.g. Hurricane Katrina of 2005 in the United States. Understanding the mechanics of medical products donation from both the donor and the recipient point of view is essential to its efficient management.

Impact of Medical Donations
Continuous and systematic medical donation program has the potential to save untold lives, gives hope, makes substantial impact in improving health, and contributes to the most unusual health challenges worldwide.

Goal and Objectives
With academic support from Loma Linda University School of Public Health (LLUSPH) and unding from Johnson & Johnson, PQMD supports the Medical Products Donation (MPD) fellowship program in one country each year. The program aims at understanding the current medical donation practices in respective countries and caucus ways to advance medical donation practices in that country. Kenya was selected to participate in the 2008 program. The following objectives were set.
- Assess and analyze existing medical donation practices in Kenya through standardized survey
- Submit recommendations to PQMD based on the outcome of the study

Recommendations

1. Medical Donations Professional Development

• PQMD in collaboration with MOH, National Council of NGOs, Pharmacy and Poisions Board, Kenya Medical Supplies Agency, Preventive and Response Directorate, and Pharmacy Council to conduct once every 2 years a workshop to educate the workforce on issues like saftey, quality control, record keeping, and current medical donation pratices.

2. Resource Sharing System

• PQMD should appoint one of its members already in Kenya as a PQMD liasion to promote PQMD's mission in the country and foster collaboration with various regulatory bodies and local agencies.

3. Evaluation System for Medical Donations Pratices

• PQMD should collaborate with the MOH, National Council of NGOs, and the Pharmacy and aPoisions board to strengthen the existing system of evaluating Medical Donation Pratices in Kenya

Below student Solomon Ogutu Otieno discusses his experience.  A copy of his PowerPoint presentation of the student's findings and recommendations is also available below.

The Kenya Fellowship Team: