Designing efficient urban fire service systems is of crucial importance as prompt responses to emergencies and accidents can drastically reduce property loss mortality. To achieve these goals, holistic location-allocation models for cooperative services must consider multiple factors, such station size, vehicle quantity, type, response time, reliability, traffic condition. This paper proposes a...

OBJECTIVES To investigate delays in the transfer of neonates between healthcare facilities and to detect any adverse events encountered during neonatal transfer. METHODS A prospective study was conducted from December 2011 to January 2012. A quantitative, non-experimental design was used to undertake a descriptive analysis of 120 inter-healthcare facility transfers of neonates within the eThe...

In the health sector, planning and resource allocation at country level are mainly guided by national plans. For each such plan, a midterm review of progress is important for policy-makers since the review can inform the second half of the plan's implementation and provide a situation analysis on which the subsequent plan can be based. The review should include a comprehensive analysis using re...

The use of the simulation-based technique in facility layout has been a choice in the industry due to its convenience and efficient generation of results. Nevertheless, the solutions generated are not capable of addressing delays due to worker’s health and safety which significantly impact overall operational efficiency. It is, therefore, critical to incorporate ergonomics in facility design. I...

Previous pandemics in 1918, 1957, 1968, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have provided sufficient evidence of health concerns caused by influenza pandemics. The existing care system is overwhelmed surging demand susceptible infected individuals due to outbreak. It crucial identify isolate prevent spread. Thus, a mixed-integer linear programming model proposed this study for location-allocation...

Use of emergency contraception is low in South Africa despite high rates of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. Existing studies have demonstrated that women access emergency contraception from commercial pharmacies rather than from public health facilities at no charge. Research has also demonstrated that awareness of emergency contraception is a key barrier to improving uptake, especially in ...

We present two capacity choice scenarios for the socially optimal location of facilities with fixed servers, stochastic demand and congestion. Walk-in health clinics, motor vehicle inspection stations, automobile emissions testing stations, and internal service systems are motivating examples of such facilities. The choice of locations for such facilities influences not only distances for users...

BACKGROUND Significant knowledge gaps exist in the functioning of institutional designs and organisational practices in purchasing within free healthcare schemes in low resource countries. The study provides evidence of the governance requirements to scale up strategic purchasing in free healthcare policies in Nigeria and other low-resource settings facing similar approaches. METHODS The stud...

With the rise of cheap small-cells in wireless cellular networks, there are new opportunities for third party providers to service local regions via sharing arrangements with traditional operators. In fact, such arrangements are highly desirable for large facilities—such as stadiums, universities, and mines—as they already need to cover property costs, and often have fibre backhaul and efficien...

BACKGROUND Master facility lists (MFL) maintain an important standard (unique identifier) in country health information systems that will aid integration and interoperability of multiple health facility based data sources. However, this standard is not readily available in several low and middle income countries where reliable data is most needed for efficient planning. The World Health Organiz...