Transforming Pacific Island Healthcare System

Overview

Our Health Advisors supported the Ministry of Health in a Pacific Island country in developing and embedding a methodology to refine the clinical services models and healthcare standards improvement for its provincial, regional, and national referral hospitals. The experts also helped determine the facility requirements for implementing the clinical services models and developed master plans for the necessary hospital network redevelopment.

Problem

The Ministry of Health in a Pacific Island had been discussing redeveloping its hospital network with donors and partners, including the Australian Government, to improve clinical and public health infrastructure and increase access to a broader range of clinical services. They sought technical assistance to develop a methodology, engage stakeholders in healthcare, and produce a pathway to new clinical services models.

Solution

Our consultants brought the necessary public health expertise in clinical services model development, hospital and healthcare facility strategic planning, natural hazards-resilient health infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, data-informed decision-making, healthcare systems in the Pacific, and stakeholder and partnership engagement and management.

They proposed a three-phase methodology based on the need for hospital redevelopments to draw on a solid understanding of the population structure, burden of disease, demand for healthcare services, and the service capacity of the health ecosystem:

Phase 1: A national needs and services assessment and economic analysis, leading to the development of forward-looking and sustainable clinical services models for all hospitals.
Phase 2: Determination of the facility requirements to implement each clinical services model, leading to workforce, clinical operations, infection prevention and control plans, essential equipment, commodities and medicines lists, and procurement and maintenance plans.
Phase 3: Master plans for the buildings that house clinical and support services.

Impact

The three-phased methodology strengthened the Ministry of Health's project strategy by fostering mutual trust and local alignment, paving the way for future collaborations. The Ministry of Health's official endorsement of our methodology and the commencement of Phase 1 highlighted the promising benefits and outcomes for the healthcare system.

The facilitated workshop was crucial in solidifying governance structures, defining roles among health sector partners, and building pivotal relationships. By capturing essential baseline data on clinical and environmental capacities, we empowered the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders with the insights needed for informed decision-making.

Our consulting services, commissioned by the Australian Government, not only met but exceeded the diplomatic objectives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This solidified our position as pioneers in health leadership and reinforced the Ministry of Health's commitment to improving healthcare standards.