ABSTRACT
Background: The demand and supply gap in blood and components has always existed in healthcare facilities. Blood inventory management is crucial to meet the demand and to minimize wastage. This study explores the blood inventory management practices at the blood bank of an institute of national importance in India. Methods: The technicians of the blood bank were interviewed on the practices they followed on blood inventory management and records were reviewed where required. Results: Simple rule of thumb practices, the experience of staff, training, clear policy on stock keeping and allocation, daily stock review, record-keeping, monthly performance review, automation, adoption of information system, regular communications, and leadership emerged as factors contributing to inventory management. Conclusion: The blood bank follows simple procedures and relies on the experience of its staff to manage its inventory. Rigorous training, strict oldest-unit-first-out (OUFO)/first-in-first-out (FIFO) principle for stock management, stringent allocation policy, diligent record-keeping, daily stock review, and monthly performance reports were identified as the key drivers for inventory management. Other measures like regular preventive maintenance of equipment, robust blood bank information system, communication with stakeholders, and effective leadership were found to contribute indirectly to inventory management practices.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: For the Commonwealth Games 2010, Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNATC) of India had been directed by the Director General Health Services and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, to set up a specialized unit for the definitive management of the injured/unwell athletes, officials, and related personnel coming for the Commonwealth Games in October 2010. The facility included a 20-bedded fully equipped ward, six ICU beds with ventilator capacity, one very very important person observation area, one perioperative management cubicle, and one fully modular and integrated operating room. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to calculate the cost of disaster facility at JPNATC, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. METHODOLOGY: Traditional (average or gross) costing methodology was used to arrive at the cost for the provisioning of these services by this facility. RESULTS: The annual cost of providing services at disaster facility at JPNATC, New Delhi, was calculated to be INR 61,007,334.08 (US$ 983,989.258) while the per hour cost was calculated to be INR 7061.03 of the total cost toward the provisioning of services by disaster facility where 26% was the capital cost and 74% was the operating cost. Human resource caters to maximum chunk of the expenditures (47%). CONCLUSION: The results of this costing study will help in the future planning of resource allocation within the financial constraints (US$ 1 = INR 62 in the year 2013).
