DUSAHNBE, September 29, 2011, Asia-Plus — Through its “Tajik-Swiss Health Care Reform and Family Medicine Support Project”, also known as Project Sino, the Government of Switzerland has been rendering substantial support to develop Family Medicine in Tajikistan, the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan reports.
Within this decade long support, in 2011 Switzerland provided additional funds to the project with the objective of strengthening the capacity of the training centers where family doctors and family nurses are enrolled in 6 month intensive courses. These courses are designed in a way to upgrade and advance the skills of doctors and nurses from pilot districts, which after completion of retraining are certified as family practitioners.
With the provided funds Project Sino made valuable investments to improving the capacity of these training centers, notably 765 medical books, including 91 different titles. The books will be distributed to the training centers of Danghara, Tursunzoda and Shahrinav and to the Republican Center for Family Medicine (RCFM) and the Post-Graduation Medical Institute (PGMI). The support also includes simulation models for practicing obstetrical maneuvers during delivery of babies; for practicing examination of newly born babies; and for practicing resuscitation procedures in adults. The training center of Danghara will also be furnished with office equipment, and 50 rural health centers of two new pilot districts of the project – Voce and Hamadoni, will receive basic medical equipment. Furthermore, with the objective of setting up laboratories in these two districts, Project Sino acquired 42,072 USD worth laboratory equipment sufficient for setting up 7 laboratories in Voce and Hamadoni. The total value of additional support amounts to around USD 171,750.
The Government of Switzerland distinctly addresses the Health Care Reform in the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for the Central Asian Region 2007 – 2011. In Tajikistan, Switzerland is heavily involved in Primary Healthcare Reforms and assists the Ministry of Health in implementing family medicine policy and facilitating the development of adequate Family Medicine models. As of today, within its health portfolio Switzerland supports Project Sino, which is presently in the 3rd phase (2009 – 2012), co-funded the WB-lead Community Basic Health Project and financed the component of Family Medicine training from 2006 to 2010, as well as supports the AKHS-implemented Community Based Family Medicine Project in GBAO, which is currently in its 2nd phase. In 2010 Switzerland launched the Medical Education Reform Project, which introduces new curricula at the medical university to align the Tajik medical undergraduate studies to the ongoing health reforms. Furthermore, in 2007-2008 Switzerland provided a total of 13,140 books and equipment worth around USD 450,000 to the TSMU named after Abu Ali ibn Sino, thereby addressing the issue of availability of reliable, state-of-the-art medical literature for future practitioners and specialists.
On a policy dialogue level Switzerland has been the major donor in financing the development of the Comprehensive Health Strategy, where the Family Medicine is defined as a priority.
