Azerbaijan, Baku, May 1 /Trend A.Akhundov/
Azerbaijan has prepared a road map for national strategy to build an information system for the country's Ministry of Health as part of the project of the World Bank (WB) to reform the health care system in Azerbaijan, Baku representation of the Bank told Trend on Thursday. The information system has been tested as a pilot scheme in Gakh central hospital.
"In addition, two hospitals in Sheki and Agdash were built under the project, eight first-aid points and three rural hospitals are under construction. The health system is reformed and training of medical personnel and doctors on the use of the new techniques is implemented." The Bank said.
The healthcare system reformation project has four basic components:
- Strengthening of the managing potential of the Healthcare Ministry, the sector's policy and planning and regulation policy;
- Enhancement of the quality and efficiency of medical services in five pilot regions which includes modification of regional primary level of services and construction of three regional hospitals as well as strengthening of links between the primary and secondary healthcare levels in these regions;
- Reform of the financing of healthcare and gradual transition towards compulsory medical insurance;
- Enhancement of personnel potential, including medical personnel certification programme
The project was approved at a meeting of the WB executive board on June 29, 2006 and started being implemented in December of that year. The project is valued at a total of $78.25 million, of which $50 million were assigned by the WB and $28.25 million by the Government of Azerbaijan.
As of February 2012, $32 million of the World Bank's loan had been used. The project is expected to end in December 2012.
This is the second healthcare reformation project in Azerbaijan financed by the World Bank. The first loan was equivalent to $5 million and the project completed in September 2006.