Medical influence on health service management at district level could be eroded as the new Griffiths management arrangements are introduced by district health authorities. Most districts are changing the composition and functions of the district management team to accommodate their new general managers. District general managers are required to prepare new management arrangements for their dis...

BACKGROUND This case study from DR Congo demonstrates how rational operational planning based on a health systems strengthening strategy (HSSS) can contribute to policy dialogue over several years. It explores the operationalization of a national strategy at district level by elucidating a normative model district resource plan which details the resources and costs of providing an essential hea...

BACKGROUND Generation of resources for providing health care services is an important issue in developing countries. User charges in the form of Surgical Package Program (SPP) were introduced in all district hospitals of Haryana to address this problem. We evaluate the effect of this SPP program on surgical care utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures. METHODS Data on 25437 surgeries...

The present investigation was carried out to assess the livelihood status of the fish farmers in Hamirkutsha and Kamarbari Unions of Bagmara upazilla under Rajshahi district during June to December 2006. Data were collected through the use of well structured questionnaire. Fifty farmers were included in this study who were directly involved in fish farming. Average pond size was 0.13 ha with si...

This article investigates impacts of hospital autonomization in Viet Nam employing a "decision-space" framework that examines how hospitals have used their increased discretion and to what effect. Analysis suggests autonomization is associated with increased revenue, increasing staff pay, and greater investment in infrastructure and equipment. But autonomization is also associated with more cos...

Background The impact of reorganisation on health services delivery is a recurring issue in every healthcare system. In 2005 Vietnam reorganised the delivery of health services at the district level by splitting preventive, curative, and administrative roles. This qualitative study explored how these reforms impacted on the organisation of maternal health service delivery at district and commun...

Author information Paula Parsonage, Director, Health & Safety Developments, Auckland Lealofi Siō, Project Manager Pacific Mental Health & Addictions, Counties Manukau District Health Board Ti’a Kirkpatrick Mariner, Programme Manager, Pacific Health Division/Mental Health & Addictions, Counties Manukau District Health Board Natalie Leger, Project Manager Pacific Mental Health & Addictions, Count...

Attendance for intrapartum care in Thyolo District, Malawi, was studied following implementation of a locally valued, non-monetary incentive. The number of facility-based deliveries per month was compared between the fourth quarter of 2007 and the third quarter of 2009, before and after introducing the incentive that included soap, a baby blanket and a traditional baby wrap. The number of deliv...

User fees in health services are a source of much debate because of their potential risk of negative effects on access to health care for the poor. A Health Equity Fund that identifies the poor and pays on their behalf may be an alternative to generally ineffective fee exemption policies. This paper presents the experience of such a Health Equity Fund, managed by a local non-governmental organi...

South Africa is an upper-middle-income country with widespread social and geographical inequality of surgical provision. The National Forum on Surgery and Anaesthesia in South Africa brought together various stakeholders, including government, societies, academic clinicians and the biomedical industry, to define the core strategy for a national surgical plan. During the forum, presentations and...