Challenges of Maintenance of Properties in Public Hospitals

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Engineering - Civil Engineering, grade: 3.65, , course: Estate Management, language: English, abstract: This study concentrates on identifying the challenges of maintenance of properties in public hospitals using Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) as a case study. It identifies the maintenance policies available in the hospital, assesses the effectiveness of maintenance policies, and identifies challenges associated with the maintenance practice and policies. In achieving these objectives, opinions of estate officers, out-sourced contractors and tenants were solicited by administering aquestionnaire to them and data were collected and analysed by using descriptive statistics. The study showed that the mode of maintenance management for the hospital is planned preventive maintenance. The study also revealed that the approach to maintenance of properties by KATH is the hybrid (that is the combination of both in-house and out-sourced contractors). Funding of maintenance activities in the hospital was by both Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and budgetary allocation for the year. In assessing the effectiveness of the maintenance policy, the study found out that building maintenance objectives which are the bases for developing maintenance policy must be considered in relation to organisations objectives and hence, ranked first (1st) as the most important factor in assessing the effectiveness of the maintenance policy of KATH's residential facilities. Training of maintenance personnel was ranked second (2nd) as personnel are trained in the form of workshops, seminars, and among others to keep them abreast with current property management of health facilities. Availability of adequate maintenance funding, and quick response to maintenance need of the building when old tenant moves for new tenant to occupy were both ranked 3rd. However, for the challenges associated with maintenance practice and policies, the study established that, the bureaucratic reporting process is the major challenge associated with maintenance practice and policies and hence, ranked first (1st). Financial delays were ranked second. In addition, contractual delays were ranked (3rd) Incompetent Staff was ranked fourth (4th). Also, the poor quality of materials and spare parts was identified as a challenge of maintenance and was ranked 5th. The lack of implementation of maintenance policy, lack of maintenance culture, and inefficient inventory system were challenges of maintenance in the hospital.