USAID/Primary Health Care Project in Iraq (PHCPI)
Weekly Report (December 07-12, 2013)
Summary of PHCPI activities for the week of November 30-December 05, 2013:
· Hosted the 8th Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting for two days on December 10-11, 2013;
· Conducted 12 rollout training courses on the Pharmaceuticals Supplies Management;
· USAID Mission Director of Iraq visited Al-Jubaila model clinic in Basrah to observe progress made by PHCPI;
· Six on-job training courses were conducted on “creating card device, maintenance sheets, and inventory forms” for the management of the PHC centers;
· Two workshops were conducted in Sulaimaniyah to disseminate the patients’ rights statements at the PHC centers within Salah ad Din province;
· A two-day workshop was conducted to discuss the cold chain management for vaccines at the PHC centers;
USAID/PHCPI hosted the eighth Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for two days on December 10-11, 2013. The PHCPI hosted the eighth Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting in Mansour Compound on December 10, 2013. The meeting was chaired by Deputy DG of Public Health Directorate, Dr. Mohammed Jaber, and attended by TAG members representing the MoH PHC Department, Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Ministry of Women, WHO, UNICEF, along with USAID representatives, PHCPI team leaders and senior staff members. The meeting included a review of PHCPI progress to date and the main highlights of its strategy and activities for the coming year in the context of the Government of Iraq and the MoH priorities, particularly in reducing maternal and child mortality. In addition, the meeting discussed approaches to ensure coordination of the project’s efforts with other international organizations. A satellite meeting was held on December 11th with the MoH provincial points of contacts (POC) to coordinate their efforts in the project’s activities and accelerate the implementation of the program. The first day included events provided by senior staff which discussed subjects including: the Government of Iraq’s new national health policies, PHCPI direction and progress, PHCPI monitoring plan, and WHO programs in MCH in Iraq. General discussions were conducted to help ensure coordination of MNCH programs. These discussions involving provincial MoH coordinators additionally addressed topics focusing on ways of transferring PHCPI capacity to MoH counterparts. Monthly sub-TAG meetings are planned to be held every months to follow up actions taken and to prepare for the coming 9th TAG meeting. The project is in the process of compiling a detailed report describing the TAG meeting’s main findings and recommendations. The report will be distributed next week in English and Arabic.
USAID/PHCPI disseminates the training of Pharmaceuticals Supplies Management to the provinces. The PHCPI conducted 12 rollout training courses on Pharmaceuticals Supplies Management during the period December 08-12, 2013. The courses were facilitated by 28 MoH trainers and attended by 247 participants from 175 PHC centers. Managers of PHCCs and senior pharmacists working at the DOHs and PHCCs of 11 provinces participated. The purpose of the training was to provide staff working at pharmacies and drug stores with a simple tool to improve the management of medicines at the PHC centers. The training included discussion on: essential medicines, the importance of drug supply management, drug supply cycle, storing of drugs at PHCCs, rational medicine use, and the disposal of expired medicines and pharmaceuticals products at the PHCCs. The attendees will disseminate the training at their respective PHC clinics.
USAID Mission Director of Iraq visits one of the model clinics in Basrah to follow up the progress made by the project. The USAID Iraq Mission Director, Ms. Sarah Ann Lynch; the USAID CBO Director, Ms. Erin Holleran; the USAID South Regional Advisor, Ms. Nida Mickus; and the USAID Coordinator in the South, Mr. Adel Al-Osami, visited Al-Jubaila model PHC center in Basrah in Sector-2 district. The USAID visit was accompanied by the PHCPI Regional Director and the MoH Basrah Coordinator. The PHCC Deputy Manager welcomed the visitors. The visiting team held a meeting with PHCC staff and discussed the challenges and requirements for the best use of the laboratory equipment provided by the project. The USAID team took a tour of the clinic’s pharmacy, IMCI unit, the medical records unit, and the vaccination unit. The visit was documented by two media channels: Al-Sumaria satellite channel, and Al-Mirbad FM Radio. The USAID Mission Director and MoH Provincial Officials were interviewed.
USAID/PHCPI works to improve the standards operating procedures (SOPs) for clinics facility and equipment maintenance management. During this week, six on-job training courses were conducted on “creating card device, maintenance sheets, and inventory forms” for the use of the PHC centers. Two training days were held for each of the six model clinic in the three provinces of Maysan, Muthanna, and Dhi-Qar. The MoH eight ToTs of facility and equipment maintenance management facilitated the training. A total of 87 participants attended including technicians, administrative and health staff from the concerned model clinics. The forms which were chosen from the SOP and used for the on-the-job training were the following: Inventory forms (Form No. 7), Equipment and device Card (Form No. 8), Maintenance task sheet (Form No. 8a), and Periodical Maintenance Planning (Form No. 9). The participants used the SOPs to create the inventory and equipment and maintenance history cards for all equipment’s delivered by PHCPI. .
USAID/PHCPI continues to disseminate the patients’ rights statement at the PHC centers. During this week, two workshops were conducted in Sulaimaniyah on dissemination of patients’ rights statements at the PHC centers. Sixty (60) participants attended the two workshops from the DOH of Salah ad Din. The Directors of the Primary Health Centers in Salah ad Din DoH, Manager of Health Promotion in DoH, Manager of Quality Management, Manager of Media, and the Manager of Community-Based Initiatives (CBI), and other senior MoH officials participated in the patient rights workshops. The group discussed the work plan for the dissemination of patients’ rights at the PHC centers and agreed on the timeline and the steps for facilitating the plan.
USAID/PHCPI works with MoH to improve the cold chain management for vaccines at the PHC centers. A two-day workshop was conducted with the technical working group of PHC Pharmaceutical Supply Management at the PHC department during the period December 09-10, 2013. Fourteen participants attended the workshop including MoH senior officials, specializedphysicians from the PHC department, and technicians. The group discussed the current vaccination protocols and highlighted topics for revision in the guideline of cold chain management for vaccines at PHCCs. An STTA from the PHCPI will be assigned to support MoH staff in updating current Essential Drug List (EDL) and cold chain guidelines. A follow up meeting will be held with the MoH PHC department to complete and finalize the maternal and child EDL that should be applied at PHC centers.
Regional Offices:
A visit was conducted by the PHCPI regional director and staff in Erbil to the Ministry of Health in KRG to meet the HE Minister of Health on December 11, 2013. The meeting’s discussions included a review of PHCPI activities and achievements through the last three years of implementation and the amendments that will take place during the coming year of the project. The Regional Director explained the delivery process of the equipment supplied to six model clinics in KRG. At the end of the meeting, the minister asked for another meeting next week and asked for a list of the involved PHCCs in the program, list of PHCCs provided with the new equipment, and a list of PHCCs that need rehabilitations in order to provide the needed fund as a cost-share from the KMoH for the rehabilitation.
Below are the field visits conducted by PHC Provincial Coordinators this week:
· Baghdad: Al Karkh PHCC, Al-Yarmook PHCC, Al-Dakhlia PHCC, Al-Mansour PHCC, Saieda PHCC, Al-Sindibad PHCC, Al-Dolaee PHCC, Al-Khateeb PHCC, Al-Noor training center, Karkh and Kadhmiya districts of health.
· Diyala: Al Wajeehia PHCC, Al Muqdadia district, Al Zahraa PHCC and met the manager of the clinic.
· Karbala: Al-Ghadeer PHCC, Director of Engineering and Maintenance Department, DG of Karbala DOH, Hay Al-Mulhaq PHCC.
· Babil: Al-Nader PHCC.
· Wasit: Wasit DoH, Al-Hawra'a PHCC, Al-Jihad PHCC.
· Najaf: Al-Wafaa Al-Awal PHCC , Al-Wafaa Al-Thani PHCC, Al-Saalam PHCC, Al-Quds PHCC , Al-Radaweah PHCC.
· Erbil: Nafaa Aqrawi PHCC and Sarwaran PHCC.
· Sulaimaniyah: Ibrahim Ahmed PHCC, Bakrajo PHCC, Shahid Rebaz PHCC, Sarwari PHCC, Rania Health directorate, DG of Sulymaniah, Khidran PHCC, Hussein Bstaseeny PHCC, Jarawa PHCC, Hagiawa PHCC, Zarawa PHCC.
· Duhok: Ashti PHC, Khanky PHCC, Balqoos Camp PHCC, Bastky PHCC, Marena PHCC, Tanahi PHCC, Duban PHCC, Moqobly PHCC, Bately PHCC, Khrab-Deam PHCC, Bawardy PHCC, Kelky PHCC, Smeel health district.
· Kirkuk: Alton Kopri PHCC, Debis PHCC, Shwan PHCC, Hassar PHCC, Qushqaya PHCC.
· Ninawa: Ministerial committee, Ebn Sena PHCC, Alrazi PHCC, Albo Ajeel PHCC, Al Aoja PHCC, Al Jama’ee PHCC, Owainat PHCC, Al Kharga PHCC.
Project Staffing:
Two new employees joined the project this week including a Human Resource Specialist, and a Bookkeeper. In addition, the Training Coordinator left the project this week.
Below is a summary of the current project staffing.
Personnel Count / December 07 through December 12, 2013Expatriate Personnel / Male / Female / Sub Total
Baghdad / 5 / 1 / 6
Sub Total / 5 / 1 / 6
CCN Personnel / Male / Female / Sub Total
Baghdad / 44 / 16 / 60
Regions / 50 / 10 / 60
Sub Total / 94 / 26 / 120
Total / 126
USAID/Primary Health Care Project in Iraq (PHCPI) - Weekly Report (December 07-12, 2013) 1