Northeast

India signs $32-million loan with World Bank for improving healthcare services in Mizoram

The Finance Ministry said the Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project signed with the World Bank will benefit people across all eight districts of Mizoram.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 24 Jun 2021, 6:18 pm

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The Indian Government, Mizoram government and the World Bank have signed a $32-million Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project to improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram, particularly for the benefit of under-served areas and vulnerable groups, official sources said.

The agreement was signed on June 17 by  Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India;  Eric Zomawia, Project Director, Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project on behalf of the Government of Mizoram; and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank, the Finance Ministry said in a release.

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The project, according to the ministry, will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries, improve the quality and coverage of services delivered by the state government health systems, and invest in a comprehensive Quality Assurance program which would enable quality certification of health facilities.

The ministry stated that a key focus will be to strengthen the effectiveness of the state health insurance programme; build synergies with the Government of India’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY); and thereby reduce financial barriers in accessing hospital services, prevent catastrophic out of pocket expenditure for health by poor families and expand coverage.

The ministry further said that the Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project will benefit people across all eight districts of the state. It will also benefit health sector staff, specifically at the secondary and primary levels, by strengthening their planning and management capacity along with building their clinical skills and competencies.

As a key strategy, the project will move towards a performance-based financing system where Internal Performance Agreements (IPAs) between the DoHFW and its subsidiaries would foster more accountability at all levels, the ministry explained, adding that it is expected to go a long way in improving the management of the system to deliver quality health services

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The project will also focus on promoting synergy between various schemes and augment the capacity of the state insurance agency, and it will invest in infection prevention and control for a more resilient response to future outbreaks, pandemics, and health emergencies, the ministry stated.

The project will also invest in improving the overall ecosystem for bio-medical waste management (both solid and liquid waste). It will include segregation, disinfection, and collection while safeguarding the environment and improving the quality of health service and patient safety, the ministry added.

 

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mizoramMizoram Health Systems Strengthening ProjectFinance ministryworld bank

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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