University of Health Sciences – For World Class Professionals

Public Health Supply Chain Management

Introduction

Workforce strengthening is crucial to the development of sustainable public health supply chains. To that end, the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project supported the development of a three-credit supply chain management course in collaboration with the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Lahore, Pakistan.

The Process

In May 2017, the project held a series of consultative and advocacy meetings with the provincial minister for special education and tertiary healthcare, the secretaries of the Health and Population Welfare Department, the Government of Punjab, the Vice Chancellor, and the faculty of UHS Lahore. The meetings culminated in an agreement to launch an elective, three-credit-hour course as part of the university’s master’s programs in an effort to build capacity for public health supply chain management.
In July, GHSC-PSM’s Pakistan country director and the vice chancellor of UHS signed a formal letter of understanding at a ceremony in Lahore. The country director also handed over the curriculum to UHS’s Department of Public Health.
The ceremony, under the chairmanship of the Punjab health minister for specialized healthcare and medical education, was attended by the federal secretary of the ministry of health services, regulations and coordination, the provincial secretary of the Punjab Population Welfare Department, the vice chancellor, UHS faculty members and course participants, representatives from affiliated medical colleges, vice chancellors of other universities, and officials from the Punjab government’s Departments of Health and Population Welfare.

Outcome

The University of Health Sciences’ Advanced Studies and Research Board has approved the integration of the course in the Masters of Health Management and Finance and Masters of Public Health curriculum. GHSC-PSM also provided orientation and training to UHS faculty, enabling them to independently implement the three-credit course as well as short courses started since fall 2017.
GHSC-PSM achieved a significant milestone with the launch of this three-credit public health supply chain course. The initiative will go a long way towards expanding the supply chain management capacity within Punjab’s public-sector.

Way Forward

UHS and GHSC-PSM have agreed to continue collaborating to develop supply chain short certificate courses and degree courses (Masters and PhD) over two to three years. GHSC-PSM plans to replicate similar initiatives in other provinces as well in collaboration with UHS.

Pakistan Success Story UHS 2017-08-17

Introduction to the Course

University of Health Sciences is a public-sector university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It offers both graduate and undergraduate programs in the field of health sciences. In collaboration with the USAID GHSC-PSM Project, UHS Lahore is successfully running series of National and International Short Certificate Course in Public Health Supply Chain Management (SCM), building on the success of its first short certificate course launched in May 2018. This course is primarily designed to train Government and Non-Government Officials who are already working on SCM in their relevant fields. The aim of this course is to enhance the skill set and build competencies of the workforce, in order to cope up with the growing demands of the public health supply chain domain.

This five-day course is specifically designed to focus on all major areas of logistics and supply chain, within the context of Pakistan’s public health sector. The basic concept of this course is to equip trainees/professionals with the knowledge and skills in supply chain management with the ability to build, manage, and improve the supply chain system. The course content is interactive and based on practical exercises to impart skills to carry out supply chain operations. The target audience for this course is supply chain managers, public sectors managers/leaders, warehousing professionals and logisticians.

Goals: To increase the participants’ understanding of the fundamentals of logistics management and the relationship between supply chain logistics and commodity security.

Objectives: By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the purpose of a logistics system, list the major activities of logistics management, and describe the relationships among these activities.
2. Identify the basic elements of a logistics management information system (LMIS), analyze a LMIS, and make recommendations for improving a LMIS.
3. List the basic guidelines for proper storage to ensure health commodity quality.
4. Assess health commodity stock status at a local and national level.
5. Determine appropriate order quantities using maximum-minimum inventory control procedures.
6. Select appropriate maximum-minimum inventory control systems for a variety of situations.
7. Define quantification and describe the steps in the quantification process.
8. Describe the Program Cycle for Supply Chain Systems Improvement along with M&E Strategies and Plans, their goals, objectives, activities and logistics system performance indicators.
9. Describe the concept of commodity security and the role of logistics in assuring commodity security.
10. Apply basic logistics principles to the management of a wide variety of health commodities, including contraceptives, HIV/AIDS products, Essential Drugs, and TB and malaria drugs.
11. Identify and explain the key qualities/skill areas required of a logistics advisor

Course Outline:

Forecasting and Supply Planning
Transportation
Quantification
Warehousing & Inventory Management
Monitoring & Evaluation
Web-based Logistics Management Information System (MIS)
Commodity Security
Storage & Distribution

Who Should Attend?

Public Health Professionals
Supply Chain Managers
Private Sector Managers/Leaders
Warehousing Professionals
Logisticians

Competency-Based Assessment

Exams and evaluations are components of an essential didactic method that confirm a definable performance. In professional education, final exams and an official certificate of performance are important prerequisites for entry into the labour market. In order to comply with recent employers’ requirements, the exams should be competency-based.
At the end of the course, UHS will conduct competency-based examination. The successful participants will be rewarded with a certificate of competence once the assessment has been verified.

Application Form

Application Form for Short Certificate in Public Health Supply Chain Management

e-Learning Portal

UHS e-Learning Portal for Certification Course

Summary Reports

Supply Chain Management of Health Commodities Batch-I
Public Health Supply Chain Management Batch-II
Public Health Supply Chain Management Batch-III (International)
Public Health Supply Chain Management - Online Certificate Course (Batch - IV)

Alumni of Certified Participants

Participants of Certificate Course in SCM Batch-I
Participants of Certificate Course in SCM Batch-II
Participants of Certificate Course in SCM Batch-III (International)
Participants of Certificate Course in SCM Batch-IV (Online)

Alumni of Participants awarded with Competency Certificate

Participants of Certificate Course awarded with Competency Certificate in SCM Batch-IV (Online)

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