Lucknow, June 1, 2012 - An eight member World Bank team, led by Task Team Leader Vikram Rajan, has completed its first post signing mission to discuss implementation readiness of the Uttar Pradesh Health Systems Strengthening Project (UPHSSP), as it prepares for its formal launch next week. The $152 million project aims to finance efforts to help improve the efficiency, quality, and accountability of health services in the state.. The mission team interacted with counterparts led by Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Project Director and Mission Director (NRHM), Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Project Support Unit (PSU) of UPHSSP. During the mission, the project team identified the new specialist cells which need to be set up in the Directorate of Medical Health (DOMH), for strengthening the health system functions of the state. These cells include the Electronic Data Processing – Data Resource Centre (EDP-DRC), Quality Assurance (QA) cell, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) cell and the Environment Management (EM) cell.
“With the project becoming effective on May 25, 2012, the mission focused on agreeing on steps to ensure speedy implementation. New cells at DOMH, aimed at better health data and quality management and a more effective engagement with the private sector, are being set up. There is also agreement on strengthening the planning function as well as the communication function of the Directorate," said Rajan, Task Team Leader, World Bank. “The Government of UP is keen to ensure that the project is responsive to the needs of consumers of health services across the state. The Bank will actively support the implementation of a robust communications and grievance redressal mechanism, to help meet this objective.”
The Bank team also discussed several of the new health initiatives recently announced by the government, including the strengthening the procurement and supply chain management under the Central Medical Stores Department (CMSD) and the grievance redressal systems. Many of these initiatives and others such as accreditation of hospitals to improve quality of care, will be supported by UPHSSP." “UPHSSP will support the Health Directorate by strengthening its Institutional , Procurement and Supply Chain Management capacities with the help of Technical Assistance Provider and Procurement cum Capacity Building Agent for which hiring process is underway .UPHSSP will fulfill the gaps and complete the process of NABH Accreditation of 20 hospitals where Gap Analysis has already been completed by the department. Preparatory training of medical and para-medical staff of these hospitals has also been initiated. The project will undertake a gap analysis of a total of 130 hospitals out of which 40 hospitals will be accredited during the project period. UPHSSP has also prepared the micro plan of all activities under various components of the PIP for a period of 12 months after detailed discussion with the concerned officials of the health department during the world bank mission,” said Meshram, Project Director, UPHSSP. “The monitoring mechanism for Procurement and supply chain management of drugs is also under process to ensure proper and transparent distribution of medicine to the beneficiaries in the hospitals.” About UPHSSP: The $152 million Uttar Pradesh Health Systems Strengthening Project, will comprise of two main components. The first component will focus on strengthening the Department of Health's management and accountability systems. In this context, the Project will improve, planning capacities, information flows and data inputs to enable policy-makers to better monitor and manage service delivery in UP. The second component will support the state government improve the Department of Health’s capacity to perform its quality assurance role and engage more effectively with the private sector, which is already a significant player in the UP health system. Other quality enhancement interventions supported by the Project include the development and implementation of regulatory functions such as transparent licensing, strengthening the accreditation program and quality enhancement in public sector hospitals in order to bring quality health services to its people, especially the poor. This Project builds on the earlier Bank-financed UP Health Systems Development Project (2000-2008), which supported investment in secondary health care services and systems strengthening. The interventions are complementary to other initiatives of the state and central schemes like the National Rural Health Mission. This Project will be financed by a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm – with a final maturity of 25 years including a grace period of five years and a 1.25 percent interest rate. Contacts:
In New Delhi: Sudip Mozumder (91-11) 24617241, smozumder@worldbank.org
In Washington: Alison Reeves, (202) 473-8955 areeves@worldbank.org For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org.in |
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