DEVELOPING COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM FOR MAINTENANCE PLANNING AND SCHEDULING OF HOSPITAL BUILDINGS IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL NNEWI, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

SOURCE:

Faculty: Environmental Sciences
Department: Building

CONTRIBUTORS:

Akabogu, S. C.
Okereke, P.A.
Okolie, K.C.

ABSTRACT:

Most public buildings in Nigeria are in a sordid state of disrepair and dilapidation. The situation is even worse with hospital buildings due to the nature of the services they provide. This situation contribute to the high rate of deterioration and degradation, and thus, necessitating frequent maintenance in order to function optimally. To achieve this, there is need for a well planned maintenance schedule that takes into consideration the peculiarities of hospital buildings in terms of type, age and usage, without disrupting normal activities of the hospital. Using over 66 buildings in Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), the study examined the factors responsible for the high rate of deterioration/degradation and identified the variables necessary for proper maintenance planning. It adopted the field survey research method, using stratified random sampling technique involving 500 respondents, comprising stakeholders in the Hospital management and maintenance personnel. The study identified and ranked in order of preponderance 10 decision factors necessary for proper maintenance planning and scheduling in NAUTH. Key among these factors are: type of building, age, usage, design, site location and quality of materials and components used in their construction. Adopting the concept of maintenance as cyclic sets expressed mathematically as progressive time series, the study established the likely time of deterioration/degradation of each building type and material components and hence the type of maintenance to be carried out within a given time frame (age) of performance and its periodicity (maintenance cycle). The study developed a computer-based system for maintenance planning- “MPLAN”, using an 8-digit coding system to represent the characteristics of each building from the prepared inventory of all the buildings in NAUTH. The MPLAN is capable of being run in Visual BASIC complete with an algorithm and flow chart for easy understanding and application. With this system in place, the subjectivity and arbitrariness in carrying out maintenance works in NAUTH will be a thing of the past, thus enhancing maintenance culture among staff and management. The study recommends the adoption of this computer-based system in any of the out stations of NAUTH as a pilot scheme in order to verify and validate the results from this study. For universal applicability of the system, further studies in other health institutions should be carried out, to involve all public hospitals in Anambra and other states in the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria. Its eventual adoption in NAUTH will result in huge savings in maintenance cost, as a result of accurate maintenance estimates and enhanced productivity of maintenance staff.