The assessment of planned preventive maintenance of residential estates of the district hospital in the Sekyere-West District of the Ashanti Region

In the health ministry physical infrastructure, whether new construction or rehabilitation represents a very high proportion of investment. However most of this physical infrastructure looks dilapidated. MOH (1992). This called for a critical physical infrastructure is managed. The Ministry of Health therefore decided to put into practice planned preventive maintenance. This is evident in the 5-year Medium Team Strategic Framework. In this regard workshops were organised for estate managers and estate officers of the ministry throughout the country. Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) is maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria and intended to reduce the likelihood of an item not meeting an acceptable condition. Lee (1984). This work therefore assessed PPM by management of the Sekvere-West District of the Ashanti region on residential estates of the district hospital. In the assessment process, primary and secondary data were used. Records on the residential estates were reviewed together with the whole planning process for PPM. A checklist was used through observation to know the state of the residential estates. Management was interviewed to know their commitment to PPM. Closed ended questionnaires were returned from 50 residents out of the 71 estates sampled for the study. PPM was measured in the district by knowing the planning process, the financial allocation, rate of inspection, the response commitment to PPM b residents. The study is a cross sectional observational one. The findings of the assessment showed that out of a total of forty-two million, four hundred and ninety-three thousand, six hundred and sixty-two cedis and eighty-eight pesewas (¢42,493.662.88) allocated for a three year period for PPM by the Government of Ghana, twenty -nine million, six hundred and thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and ninety-six thousand cedis (¢29.638.196) was used for maintenance leaving a balance of twelve-million, eight hundred and fifty-five thousand four hundred and sixty-six cedis at eighty-eight pesewas (¢12,855.466.88). Budget was not initiated for PPM but instead management only made use of what was provided by G.O.G. Finding further showed that management knew about PPM. The research also revealed that out of a total of 7 I estates under the hospital 26, i.e. 34% have gone through some form of maintenance leaving 45 i.e. 66% of the estates not having undergone any maintenance for the past 1 0 years. Out of the 34% of the maintained estates 3 1 .6% have had maintenance just once and 2.41% more than once for the past 10 years. Client satisfaction was used as the measure for good work done. Findings showed that 18% of the study population claimed they were satisfied with the work done on their residence. Those who were not satisfied constituted l5.9%. A total of 30% of those who had some work done on the residence still claim there is still some work to be done on their apartments. On resident’s contribution to PPM, all the respondents claim they do general cleaning on the average once a week which observational study proved otherwise. The observational study showed that 30% of residents did not keep their homes tidy. A total of 55.9% of the sampled population have done some amount of repair works on their residences from their own resources though it was strongly discouraged by management. From these findings, the researcher concluded that planned preventive maintenance system at the hospital is weak. The researcher therefore strongly recommends that management should put in place an Estate management unit or a PPM system. Management should also put in place a policy to formulate a long-term maintenance strategy. Tenants should however be encouraged to take interest in their residences and be allowed to make improvements on their homes.

Source: KNUST