Management and Governance of Health Facilities

Management and governance of health facilities are important determinants for successful health system operations and performance. Good management and governance practices contribute to the achievements of health facility goals and the improvement of health outcomes of the population. Poor management and governance skills have been contributing to the poor performance of health facilities. This chapter presents a scenario that demonstrates inadequate knowledge and skills of the health facility in-charge, who performed the facility operations without consulting the relevant authorities at the facility, village, ward and district levels. The chapter attempts to convey the importance of abiding to management and governance principles such as participation, transparency, accountability and responsiveness in running health facilities. The chapter provides guidelines on the development of an action plan for addressing management and governance challenges and highlights other potential issues to take into account while managing the health facility.