Response Strategies to COVID-19 Pandemic and Performance of Health Facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to health institutions worldwide, requiring swift and effective response strategies to mitigate its impact. This empirical research examines the relationship between response strategies adopted by health institutions in Nairobi City County and their subsequent performance during the pandemic. The research was anchored on three theories namely Resource Dependency Theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978), Dynamic Capabilities Theory (Teece et al., 1997) and Resilience theory (Weick, 1993). Using a descriptive survey research design, a total of 196 health institutions were targeted and supplied with questionnaires. The study employed a quantitative analysis approach to identify significant predictors of performance, using five independent variables: Market orientation, streamlining the supply chain, restructuring of strategic approaches, fostering innovation, and reshaping the business model. The dependent variable, Performance, is measured based on relevant indicators related to the health institutions' effectiveness and efficiency in handling the pandemic. The results reveal that several response strategies significantly influence the performance of health institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the coefficient values posted by the different indicators including Market Orientation 0.736, p=0.015< 0.05; Supply Chain Optimization 2.754, p= 0.005< 0.05, Strategy Re-organization 0.892, p=0.000< 0.05; Business Model transformation 2.042, p=0.006<0.05. These exhibited a strong positive effect on performance. Meanwhile, Innovation showed a relatively weaker positive effect as compared to the rest of the variables, with a coefficient value of 0.165, p=0.004<0.05. The model summary suggests that the combination of independent variables had a relatively strong association with the dependent variable with R2 = 0.619. The study's findings contribute to the understanding of effective response strategies employed by health institutions during pandemics, particularly in the context of Nairobi City County. By identifying key predictors of performance, this research informs policymakers and health administrators about the critical areas to focus on during future crises. It also highlights the significance of strategic re-organization and supply chain optimization as effective measures to enhance health institutions' performance in times of unprecedented challenges. However, further research is recommended to explore additional factors that may influence performance and to validate these findings in different regions and healthcare systems.