A national strategy has been launched Thursday on the quality of care for health service delivery in Bangladesh, according to a media release, reports BSS.
Health Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam launched the strategy, which was developed by the Health Economics Unit of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH and FW) with the assistance of the UNICEF.
The strategic planning on the quality of care sets the basis for a focused and coordinated framework for implementing quality improvement activities in Bangladesh, the release added.
It will provide strategic direction and roadmap for the quality improvement programmes of the MoH and FW and also guide the UN agencies, development partners, other stakeholders in planning and if necessary, re-shaping interventions on quality improvement.
Director General of Directorate General of Health Services Professor Dr Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq, Director General of Health Economics Unit M Ashadul Islam, and Chief of Health of UNICEF Bangladesh Dr Lianne Kuppens also spoke at the launching ceremony.
Syed Monjurul Islam said the strategy has addressed the issue of quality from both the technical and service oriented perspective and this will be implemented throughout the health, population and nutrition sector in phases over time covering both the public and private sector.
Chief of Health of UNICEF Dr Lianne Kuppens said quality improvement of health services is a priority agenda for UNICEF in Bangladesh.
"Quality of health care services often fall-short of the national norms and standards. It is an imperative now to improve the effective coverage of health services that ensures both coverages of services with quality," she said.
Currently, UNICEF is supporting the ministry for implementing total quality management approach in thirteen hospitals (which includes four medical college hospitals, seven district hospitals and two upazila health complexes) and planning to further expand the quality improvement initiatives in more hospitals in 20 districts by the year 2016, she added.
