Impact of Drone Services on the Management of Emergency Medical Supplies and Perinatal Outcomes in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipal of Ghana.

Abstract

Background: The medical drone delivery service operated by Zipline started supplying medical products to health institutions in Kassena-Nankana East Municipality (KNEM) of the Upper East Region of Ghana in February, 2020. The availability of the medical drones is expected to, among other things, facilitate the reduction of the perinatal mortality rate in the municipality. There is absence of empirical data measuring the impact of the drone delivery system on perinatal mortality. Aim: This study investigated the impact of the drone delivery system on emergency medical supplies and perinatal outcomes (i.e. still births and early neonatal deaths) in KNEM. Method: The study used a retrospective review (research) design, a quantitative methods approach, and a combination of primary and secondary data. Secondary data on yearly perinatal mortality records for 5 drone-serviced health care facilities (from 2016 to 2021) were gathered and analysed. With the aid of self-administered questionnaire to 107 respondent frontline health professionals in KNEM, primary data was gathered on respondents’ opinion on factors that may be influencing perinatal mortality (stillbirths and early neonatal deaths) in KNEM before and after drones were introduced, and the impact of drones on emergency medical supplies and perinatal outcomes. Results: Findings of the study revealed that, from 2016 to 2021, the trend in total cases of perinatal mortality reported by drone-serviced health care facilities in KNEM has been increasing, and is expected/projected to increase beyond 2021, the introduction of drones in February 2020 notwithstanding. Also, despite the introduction of medical drone services the majority of factors that influence perinatal mortality (i.e. stillbirths and early neonatal deaths) in the municipal did not change. In the view of respondents, despite the introduction of medical drone services, the majority of factors associated with still births and early neonatal deaths in KNEM did not undergo relative changes. The study findings further revealed that drone services in the municipality have had an impact on the management of emergency medical supplies and perinatal outcomes. However, the empirical data on the incidence of perinatal mortality in the municipal and the study findings on trend analysis of perinatal mortality seem to suggest that the impact is insignificant. Conclusion: The introduction of medical drone services in the municipal has had an impact on emergency medical supply and perinatal outcomes in the area.