Group two presentation

PRACTICAL 1

A research topic:
It is a subject and or issue(s) that a researcher is interested in when
conducting a research.

Topic Summary
Harare Central Hospital has been experiencing persistent drug shortages,
and this can be attributed to various factors.
Since most of the drugs are sourced from foreign markets, persistent
foreign currency shortages have been making it increasingly difficult to
buy the required amounts.
This has often resulted in supply gaps in the market, including stock-outs
at many public health institutions such as Harare Central Hospital.
Since most drugs and medicines are imported, pricing them has often
been a challenge, and this has often resulted in exceedingly high prices
for both hospitals and ordinary consumers.
Also high prices mean many consumers cannot readily afford them.
But some drugs have a short shelf life, meaning they have to be used
within a specified period of time. They are bound to expire if consumers
cannot afford them.
Due to economic challenges facing the country, primary health facilities
such as clinics most often do not have basic drugs, and desperate
consumers are often forced to resort to referral facilities such as Harare
Central Hospital.
This results in rising demand on already strained health facilities.
Ordinarily, the local pharmaceutical industry should be able to adequately
supply local health facilities with drugs, but they have been facing
difficulties importing the much-needed raw materials.
The result has often been supply bottlenecks, especially at NatPharm,
which is Government’s main drug wholesaler.
However, these challenges can be addressed through lobbying
Government to allocate adequate foreign currency to procure drugs,
including ensuring that NatPharm has buffer stocks at any given time.
Alternative and cheaper generic drugs can also be readily sought.
Government can also fast-track decision-making to help speed up the
procurement of drugs and their distribution to health facilities.
There is also need to guarantee adequate quality controls on drugs,
including enforcing appropriate prices.

Research question (definition)

A research question is the fundamental core of a research project, study
or review of literature. It determines the methodology and guides all
stages of inquiry, analysis and reports.

Question:
Group two presentation

Why do we have a shortage of drugs at Harare Central Hospital?

Aim : (definition)
Is a broad statement of desired outcomes, or the general intentions of the
research, which paint a picture of the research project?

Aim of topic
To know what is contributing to the shortage of drugs at Harare Central
Hospital.

Objectives : (definition)
Objectives of a research project summarises what is to be achieved by the
study. The research objectives are the specific accomplishment the
researcher hopes to achieve by the study.

Objectives
1-Monetary issues
-allocation of funds to purchase the much-needed drugs e.g. painkillers
2-Frequency of ordering
-to identify the rate at which the drugs are being ordered,
3-To find out where the drugs are coming from: that is the suppliers
4-Inadquate storage space
-To find out if the hospital does have the cpacity to store a large
reserve which can cater for patients.
5-Contract disputes
-Also to find out if the hospital is still in good books with the suppliers
6- Suppliers name
- To find out which are the regular suppliers of the hospital – maybe
they had stopped manufacturing or distributing most of the
demanded drugs due to foreign currency shortages affecting the
country.