DUSHANBE, July 6, Asia-Plus — Program of state guarantees providing for free medical care services was discussed at the Community and Basic Health Project Implementation Unit (Project Implementation Unit or PIU) in Dushanbe yesterday.
The meeting brought together representatives from Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health (MoH), the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Mercy Corps, ACTED, and other NGOs.
Nargis Qosimova, the PIU public relations coordinator, told Asia-Plus that the program has to date been launched in a number of pilot districts in the Sughd province.
According to her the meeting participants also determined a category of privileged persons who should receive medical care services free of charge. “Other people participate in co-financing that is they cover a part expenses on medical services,” Qosimova said.
The meeting also discussed issues of monitoring and assessing a progress of reforms carried out in the country’s health sector. “The reforms are aimed at increasing access to health services and strengthening potential of the country’s medical structures, improving quality of medicine in Tajikistan,” the PIU public relations coordinator said.
The Community and Basic Health Project for Tajikistan aims to increase access to, utilization of, and patient satisfaction with health services in project-supported areas, and to build capacity and efficiency at national, regional and district levels in administering a basic package of health benefits and introducing financing reforms in primary health care. The project has several components: financing training, local and international technical assistance, workshops, study tours and minor civil works to help strengthen coherence and coordination in policymaking, policy analysis and the management of donor support by the MOH; financing a training, local and international technical assistance, workshops and study tours to help support the implementation of per capita financing for primary health care and implementation of the Basic Program of Medical Care Services; financing local technical assistance, training, medical equipment and civil works to help renew the primary health care (PHC) infrastructure in a number of districts and support complementary measures to improve service delivery
