I am often asked what are the requirements to manage public health services or a public health facility? What qualifications are ideal? Is a health background essential? What about a health related MBA? I wrote on this topic in a post dated 21st December 2021 and if these are questions that still entertain you that post is worth another read. Previously my recommendations in that post were: Time spent in the health services either as a health professional or employed in another capacity within the health services is essential. Particularly, if one is not a health professional a postgraduate qualification in public health to provide an understanding of the field…
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The COVID-19 Vaccine dilemma …
I highly recommend a read of this article as even if one disagrees with some of the conclusions it certainly provides much food for thought … https://theconversation.com/south-africas-vaccine-quagmire-and-what-needs-to-be-done-now-163784 I have previously opined on more than one occasion on the need to employ effective logistics to the COVID-19 Vaccine program and further, the need to employ every resource at the country’s disposal faced with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced by the delta variant of the virus and a potentially disastrous third wave of infections in South Africa certainly there is an argument that the current policy should be reviewed to alter the vaccination trajectory. I would prefer to see less…
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The COVID-19 jab is here … but not for everyone
In mid-January 2021, I wrote a post entitled “Successful Healthcare Delivery … a missing link could be logistics” and at that time I referred to the then stated target of vaccinating 67% of the South African population by at the latest the end of 2021. It has now been admitted that the country will be unable to achieve this target and at best achieve a target of 40% by February 2022, as implementation has “lost a little time”, far removed from the “herd immunity” referred to by the Minister of Health earlier. While the inability of South Africa to procure vaccines due to “richer countries hogging vaccine supplies” and the…
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Successful healthcare delivery … a missing link could be Logistics
The term “Logistics”is defined in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary as “the aspect of military science dealing with procurement, maintenance and transport of materiel, facilities and personnel” or stated otherwise “the handling of the details of the operation”. While the term was initially used in a military sense, the term is now used widely in commerce, to refer to how resources are handled and moved along the supply chain. A brief scan of the internet reveals a multitude of universities offering under-graduate and post-graduate degrees in logistics and logistics management. Promoting these courses universities encourage prospective students that embarking on the these courses will prepare them for a successful career in…