Hello! I’m Teresa, a supply chain administrator traveling with the Global Health Ministries administrative consulting team alongside Maureen, Cole, and Cindy.
We began the morning with the hospital’s procurement officer, who walked us through their entire supply chain process, from ordering and receiving to storage, distribution, and inventory tracking. We talked about supply shortages, prioritization, and the daily choices required when resources are limited. While their workflow may look a little different from what we’re used to in the U. S., there are so many similarities between the responsibilities we share and the problems many hospitals face worldwide.
From there, we toured the operating rooms. The team shared their case flow, instrument reprocessing practices, and vision for incorporating orthopedics in the future.
Later in the day, we toured and showed in the Reproductive and Child Health clinic. As a mother of three, this part stuck with me. I watched mothers arrive with infants and young children, observed counseling and exams, and toured the birthing suites and NICU. The care was steady, thoughtful, and deeply respectful. I found myself thinking of the quiet strength of the women in those rooms, recognizing many had traveled long distances to receive care.
Throughout this entire trip, we have been met with genuine warmth from the Illula community. While walking through town, we passed a local choir practicing. They smiled, waved us over, and invited us inside to listen. The video below captures the spirit of the community here beautifully.
Today was a reminder of the impact of supply chain and why I do what I do. Supply chain decisions don’t live in storerooms or spreadsheets alone. They reach operating rooms, clinics, mothers and children – all across the world. I am grateful for this experience, and I will be taking many lessons learned back to my supply chain team in the US.
- Teresa
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