Jordan Times
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Primary Health Care Initiative
(PHCI) achievements reviewed
The $50 million USAID-funded initiative was launched in 1999 and
implemented by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the PHCI
administration
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN — Achievements of the five-year Primary Health Care Initiative (PHCI),
which seeks to assist the Kingdom in improving the provision of reproductive and
primary healthcare at public health centres, were reviewed on Monday.
The $50 million USAID-funded initiative was launched in 1999 and implemented by
the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the PHCI administration.
“The project supported our national health needs in the field of primary
healthcare by expanding financial and technical assistance and resulted in
upgraded services offered by the ministry and its personnel,” Minister of Health
Saeed Darwazeh said yesterday at a conference marking the end of the project.
He added that hard work had made the PHCI a success, underscoring the importance
of preserving the project's achievements and ensuring their sustainability.
“The Jordanian people have been both the subject and the object of our efforts
to improve the quality of care in Jordan,” PHCI Director Carlos Cuellar said.
He commended the enthusiasm and cooperation of the Health Ministry, its
dedicated staff and the guidance of the government.
“Efforts to improve the quality of primary and reproductive health services have
gained momentum and the evidence is now in the field,” Cuellar added.
“We worked hand-in-hand to ensure better health services, train better skilled
healthcare givers and provide better facilities for Jordanian families,” USAID
Mission Director Anne Aarnes told the gathering
She said the partnership reflects the very best of strong and friendly relations
between the American and Jordanian people and that USAID looks forward to future
opportunities for cooperation in building a healthy and prosperous Jordan.
The project covered seven components: Quality Assurance (QA), Training, Health
Management Information System (HMIS), Health Communications and Marketing (HCM),
Research, Renovation, and Equipment and Furniture.
Under the QA component, the ministry, in cooperation with the PHCI project
administration, established teams in 200 focal health centres around the
Kingdom, which now play an active role in ensuring the sustainability of QA
practices in all the healthcare centres. Some 75 quality coordinators are
currently supporting the teams by conducting regular monitoring and support
visits, collecting reports on key indicators and providing feedback to the QA
teams on their performance.
A total of 6,000 ministry staff, ranging from doctors and nurses to midwives and
lab technicians, received training to heighten their skill levels. Moreover, 102
master trainers are now available in all the governorates, along with 20 doctors
qualified as health team trainers.
The HMIS component of the initiative provided computers for 200 health centres,
set up local area network connections in 20 health directorates, established a
wide area network between five health directorates and the ministry's
Information Centre and trained all IT staff at the ministry on relevant software
applications.
The project's HCM segment used a cartoon character named “Sihi,” or “healthy,”
to deliver important health messages to the public and to spread awareness on
reproductive, maternity and child health issues, among others.
The PHCI project also renovated 185 health centres across the Kingdom. The
strategy sought to improve the physical appearance of the centres to encourage
patient flow, and create a friendly, clean and safe environment. Renovations
also helped create accessible reception and waiting areas. Dormitories were
built for resident doctors so that they could provide emergency care
around-the-clock.
In addition, the PHCI provided medical and lab equipment and office furniture to
318 healthcare centres.
Governorate and central research teams were created and successfully completed
10 research projects handling various health problems.
Several health directors along with officials from USAID and the PHCI attended
the project's closing ceremony.