Strategic Priority 2: Increase Access to Quality, Safe, and Patient-Focused Clinical Services

Outcome 2.1 Improve Patient Health Outcomes, with a Particular Focus on Services for Women, Children, Young People, and Vulnerable Groups

The Ministry notes that maternal, neonatal, prenatal, and child health outcomes are important measures for a strong health system, and the Ministry needs to continually focus on decreasing mortality rates. There is a need to provide services closer to people’s homes and to improve services for the young population, both in schools and at health facilities. Because of the predominantly young population, the Ministry will look at increasing access to youth-friendly services in health facilities. The Ministry hopes to improve access to services for women, children, young people, and vulnerable groups and also to find solutions that reduce the risk of maternal, neonatal, prenatal, infant, and child deaths, leading to improved quality of service and reduced mortality rates.

Outcome 2.2 Strengthen and Decentralize Effective Clinical Services, Including Rehabilitation, to Meet the Needs of the Population

The decentralization of specific services to divisions will assist the Ministry in accomplishing the aim of reduction in implications, as people will be able to access services more efficiently. By ensuring improved outreach in collaboration with nursing stations, health centers and community health workers, and support to families and individuals in the community (in particular women who often are the primary caregivers), the Ministry aims to reduce the burden on hospitals. The Ministry is aiming to reduce the length of stays for inpatient treatment, especially for women and children, by providing a more integrated service from the community level upward, which will also reduce the risk of complication.

Outcome 2.3 Continuously Improve Patient Safety and Values of Services

The Ministry aims to improve the overall experience of their customers. By improving clinical services, the Ministry is able to increase the productivity and efficiency of the health system. The Ministry is aiming to improve access to standardized treatment services including timely diagnosis, treatment, and efficient referral. This will help to reduce readmission rates and improve the use of operating theatres.

Strategic Priority 3: Drive Efficient and Effective Management of the Health System

Outcome 3.1 Cultivate a Competent and Capable Workforce, Where the Contribution of Every Staff Member Is Recognized and Valued

The Ministry’s vision is to ensure the skills of the health workforce reach internationally accepted levels. Diversity in the workforce is important, which entails enabling gender equality in the workforce and providing support to people living with disabilities to enter our workforce. The Ministry aspires to increase the number of skilled doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health workers, and psychiatrist providing health care services.

Outcome 3.2 Improve the Efficiency of Supply Chain Management and Procurement Systems and Maintenance of Equipment

The availability of commodities and equipment is a critical component of the functionality of the health system. To ensure health workers have the equipment they need, the Ministry will coordinate regular updates of equipment procurement and maintenance plans. The Ministry aims to achieve reduced stock-outs of essential medicines and commodities across nursing stations, health centers, and hospitals.

Outcome 3.3 Implement More Efficient Financial Processes While Reducing the Financial Hardship of the Most Vulnerable

The Ministry aims to ensure strengthened business processes across cost centers, which will improve financial controls, processes, and expenditure to ensure the best use of taxpayers’ money. As part of the drive for a more efficient health system including cost efficiencies, different contracting models with cost-benefit analyses are used to show efficiencies for direct and support services. The Ministry aims to improve budget execution, financial performance, management, and greater efficiency.

Outcome 3.4 Ensure Infrastructure Is Maintained to Match Service Needs

The Ministry aims to manage and maintain assets better, based on needs and endorsed plans. The Ministry wants to ensure improved clinical spaces and making better use of space, all supporting an improved patient experience. The Ministry aims to maintain a level of infrastructure at health facilities at all levels based on standards or endorsed plans.

Outcome 3.5 Harness Digital Technologies to Facilitate Better Health Care for Our Patients

The Ministry aims to develop and implement a digital health strategy and digitalization plan to cover its long-term plan. The future focus will be on improving health information and electronic medical record systems, supply chain information, review, and fortification of patient information (improving its use), and exploring access to technology to improve productivity. Patients need to be able to access their health information and gain more control of their own health, all of which need to be built into an appropriate digitalization plan. The Ministry aspires to increase access to detailed electronic patient information for staff and patients across the country.

Outcome 3.6 Continue to Strengthen Planning and Governance Through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services

The Ministry ensures improved governance structure across the organization and improved use of technology for management decision-making processes through an effective monitoring, evaluation, and learning system. The Ministry aims to establish functional governance structures at all national, divisional, and health facility levels that are linked through a standardized planning process.

Outcome 3.7 Widen Our Collaboration with Partners for a More Efficient, Innovative, and Higher-Quality Health System

The Ministry wants to enhance relationships with their partners and pursue a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach for national policy and legislative interventions to address risk factors for poor health outcomes (Ministry of Health and Medical Services 2016). Externally, the Ministry collaborates with communities, religious institutions, research institutes, United Nations’ agencies, and other external stakeholders. The Ministry hopes to implement a cross-government strategy action plan for priority health issues, in particular: well-being and lifestyles, the climate crisis, reduced sexual- and gender-based violence, and improved access to services for people with disabilities. The Ministry’s established partnerships, including contracting with external stakeholders, need to shape evidence- based contributions to health outcomes.