Application of the Organizational Framework of a General Reference Hospital: Cases of Six Lubumbashi General Referral Hospitals

Abstract

Introduction: The hospital is a key part of the health system. The referral general hospital is the local health system's appeal structure and therefore its organization determines the quality of the supply that a community needs to meet its health needs. Méthodology: We carried out a transversal descriptive study on the level of application of the organizational framework in the general hospitals of reference of the city of Lubumbashi. Our goal was generally to determine the organizational frameworks of Lubumbashi hospitals. We used a questionnaire administered to one of the members of the hospital's management committee, whether it was the Medical Director, the managing director, the Chief Medical Officer or even the Director of Nursing. A structured interview was used to collect data. Our sampling is comprehensive and its size is six general referral hospitals. Results: Our results show that the majority (75%) of interviewees are male with a sex ratio of two men for one woman. The median age of those surveyed is 42 years old. Regarding the strategic project, one hospital out of three declared to us to have an annual plan, this only hospital having the annual plan showed it to us. Regarding the organizational structure, five (83%) out of six hospitals showed their organizational charts while all reported having an organizational chart. Two out of six hospitals (33%) reported having job descriptions and showed them to us. No hospital has established an education. In all hospitals, the Medical Director was cited as the only person authorized to make a decision while the other members of the Steering Committee were cited in five (83%) while the other officials were not mentioned in any hospital. Conclusion: It is important that the political actors as well as the providers get involved in the proper organization of health services in general and the general referral hospital in particular in order to promote access to quality care in the perceptive of the universal health carecoverage.