EURO 2024 Copenhagen
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1628. Mobile clinic deployment in the Witzenberg region of South Africa.

Invited abstract in session MC-10: Mobility and transportation in healthcare, stream OR in Health Services (ORAHS).

Monday, 12:30-14:00
Room: 11 (building: 116)

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Hannah Callaghan
Logistics, Stellenbosch Univeristy
2. Linke Potgieter
Logistics, Stellenbosch University

Abstract

In South Africa, the Department of Health has introduced mobile clinics to improve access to healthcare for rural communities. In this study, we consider the Witzenberg region, where six mobile clinics have been deployed. The aim was to determine routes and schedules to improve the workload balance, fairness, and transportation cost, while ensuring patients get satisfactory care. The problem is modelled in three phases using both primary qualitative data and secondary quantitative data. In phase 1, a multi-vehicle routing problem is formulated to construct feasible daily routes for the mobiles. Phase 2 distributes the daily routes fairly between the mobile clinics to ensure fairness. Finally, in phase 3, a vehicle routing formulation is used to determine a 4-week schedule for each mobile clinic, by using the daily routes obtained during phase 2 as input. Four different service time estimations are used as input, resulting in four different schedules, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, including cost-effectiveness, robustness, fairness, and continuity of care. AHP was then performed with main decision makers to determine their preferred schedule. Final routes and schedules were determined based on model results, AHP results, and final practical input from the decision makers, resulting in an improvement in workload balance, a 23% reduction in total distance travelled and willingness by decision makers to implement the changes.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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