Assessing administrative effectiveness of the m-mama emergency transport system: A case of Mtwara Region, Tanzania

This study aimed at addressing the administrative effectiveness of the m-mama emergency transport system in Mtwara Region, Tanzania. The main objective of the study was to assess the administrative effectiveness of the m-mama emergency transport system, and the specific objectives were to evaluate the operational efficiency of the M-Mama dispatch center in coordinating emergency transport, to investigate factors affecting community utilization of the M-Mama services, and to identify administrative challenges within the program’s implementation. The study was guided by health system theory. The target population of the study was 123 individuals. Both qualitative and quantitative methods approaches were adopted, involving a sample of 59 participants drawn from dispatch personnel, healthcare workers, and community members. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling were used as sampling methods.Structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were applied as data collection tools. The questionnaire guide and interview questions were the tools of data collection. The descriptive analysis was adopted to analyze the quantitative data and thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data, and SPSS was used to assist the analysis. The findings showed that as much as the M-Mama program has led to awareness creation with regard to emergency response and facilitated access to maternal health services, a number of barriers to operation and system operation still exist. The lack of road works, communication devices, and poor organization of the various agencies were the main factors limiting the efficiency and responsiveness of the dispatch center. Further, a poor workforce and few training opportunities for emergency responders also deterred the successful running of the program. Other factors that negatively affected the community's utilizations of the services were socio-cultural beliefs and poor community awareness. Based on the study, it is concluded that to maintain the sustainability and success of the M-Mama emergency transport system, there is a need to put in place efforts to improve the road networks, communication systems, and administrative coordination, as well as invest in building the capacity of the staff. The results have significant implications for policymakers, health organizations, and donors who pursue enhanced emergency maternal care provision in underserved and rural areas. The paper suggested that community education programs ought to raise awareness and appreciation of the M-Mama services in the rural settings. There also needs to be standards of communication between dispatch centers and health facilities so that M-Mama would become more effective.