Strategies to Enhance Service Delivery in Public Hospitals. A Case of Banket Hospital

Abstract

This study sought to investigate strategies to enhance service delivery in public hospitals. a case of Banket hospital. This will help to explore the strategies that enhance service delivery in public hospitals, establish factors that influence service delivery in public hospitals, evaluate measures that have been undertaken to improve service delivery in public hospitals, determine challenges faced in improving service delivery in public hospitals and recommend strategies for improving service delivery in public hospitals. Literature has shown that service delivery has been least reflected on by researchers in public hospitals, and efforts to improve service delivery in public hospitals were mainly centred on regulations and benchmarking against practices adopted in developed countries. Therefore, an empirical assessment of service delivery in the Zimbabwean hospitals will greatly contribute to understanding the service delivery dimensions, which could bring efficiency and sustainability to the hospital threatened by economic challenges. The population of this study constituted of 100 employees from Banket Hospital. A sample of 80 was chosen from Banket hospital using random sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire based on a five-point Likert-type scale. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was adopted for data analysis in which both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The major findings were that there are some factors which influence service delivery in public hospitals such as management interference in administration and inadequate alignment of budget with the requirements of the central government. The study has also shown that Banket hospital has attempted to educate all stakeholders as a measure which have been undertaken to improve service delivery in public hospitals. Strategies to improve service delivery in public hospitals are suggested, with some managerial and theoretical implications being highlighted. The study recommended that hospitals should put in place reforms to improve service delivery.