THE HSSP DEMONSTRATES ITS SUPPORT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE.
The quality of health services provided to Saint Lucians through Universal Health Coverage will be improved significantly following the recent handover of phlebotomy chairs to the Ministry of Health.
The Health System Strengthening Project (HSSP) demonstrated its support to the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) activities through an investment of the purchase of phlebotomy chairs to be used at the sites where the services are provided.
The phlebotomy chairs handed over to the Ministry of Health will be used to enhance the quality of lab services provided to Saint Lucians accessing the health services of Performance-Based Financing (PBF) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Financial Management Specialist of the Health System Strengthening Project/ OECS Regional Health Project Rosilia Joseph spoke on the commitment of the project to strengthen health system capacity which will play a significant part in ensuring the successful implementation of Universal Health Coverage.
“Today marks a major step for the Health System Strengthening Project (HSSP), in its efforts to support Universal Health Coverage and ensure the necessary activities are undertaken to achieve this goal. The procurement of the phlebotomy chairs under component 1 of the Health System Strengthening Project (HSSP), which will be handed over to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, demonstrates that the project recognizes the importance of making investments in the health sector.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Jenny Daniel thanked the Project Implementation Unit for the support provided to Universal Health Coverage and reiterated the vision to provide quality health care for all and strengthen the health sector.
“The phlebotomy chairs will help to improv the quality of service provided to clients and will also assist in making our staff as well, the staff of the labs a little more comfortable as they deliver and perform those services. During this year, the ministry pledges to continue providing support and to push the UHC agenda to ensure that we have the desired expansion and the desired increase in accessibility of our population to quality health care services.”
Director of Universal Health Coverage Dr. Alisha Eugene-Ford expressed gratitude for the procurement of the phlebotomy chairs and said it will meet the standards of providing quality service delivery of Universal Health Coverage to both clients and staff.
“The laboratory services offered form an integral part of what is going to be offered in the essential package of services under UHC. All of the service packages do have a diagnostic component which is laboratory base and therefore is expected that these phlebotomy chairs will be in constant use as we rollout more services under UHC.”
Minister for Health, Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste commended the collaborative efforts to provide essential and quality health services to the people and reiterated the commitment of government to implement UHC in a phased approach.
“In last year’s budget, there is $1.8 million dollars that we are spending now on Universal Health Coverage. I wish to thank the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for getting an additional revenue source of the 2.5% levy on health and security as an investment into all of this.”
Twenty-four phlebotomy chairs were handed over and will be placed at the community wellness centres where UHC and PBF services are provided, the lab at St. Jude Hospital and the Ezra Long Lab at the Millennium Heights Medical Complex.
The phlebotomy chairs were purchased under Component one of the Health System Strengthening Project (HSSP) in the tune of US$34,199.76.