The cabinet endorsed draft regulation of the Prime Minister’s Office on regional health areas for people which are to be set up in 13 zones nationwide. The regional health areas for people are aimed to promote participatory health systems and meet local health needs. This initiative is a new dimension to support joint cooperation of all sectors effectively.
Dr Amphon Jindawatthana, secretary-general of the National Health Commission, said that on April 26, 2016, the cabinet approved the draft regulation proposed by the commission that was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Narong Pipatanasai. The regional health areas for people will be main mechanisms for the development of participatory health systems at the local level. The well-being of people, families and communities will be served through the processes that guarantee participation by all parties. They will take part in owning and taking responsibility for health systems, setting the vision and direction of health system development, and managing all health affairs in the way that truly meets the demand of local residents.
“The regional health areas for people are a new form of work which responds to new health systems. Parties share ownerships in the manner of pluralism. The governance should be based on partnership in which the government, the private sector, people and academics work together in one regional area and the demand of local residents is underscored.”
The establishment of the regional health areas for people gained approval from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on July 22, 2014. A working group was formed to design the regional areas and draft the regulations of the Prime Minister’s Office for their establishment. It gathered opinions from partners and parties through forums and the National Health Assembly. The regulations also obtained approval from important organizations relevant to the matter, including the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Interior, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board and the National Health Security Office (NHSO). The cabinet-endorsed regulations will be scrutinized by a committee tasked with examining bills and draft subordinate legislation proposed to the cabinet. Then the scrutinized regulations will return to the cabinet for promulgation.
In the meantime, the National Health Commission Office will propose a plan to realize the 13 regional health areas for people nationwide to the National Health Commission so that they will be set up right when the new regulations take effect. For the establishment, the National Health Commission formed an interim committee tasked with supporting the regional health areas for people and started to discuss the selection of the members the regional health areas for people 2 (covering Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Tak and Uttaradit provinces).
Bangkok and the 12 other regions were designed to be the regional health areas for people in relation to the regional health service areas of important partners namely the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Security Office (NHSO). They will support one another and will not duplicate one another’s work. The regional health service areas of the ministry focus on health services and the ministry informed the cabinet that it was setting up its regional health service areas in accordance with the regional health areas for people. Meanwhile, the regional health service areas of NHSO are responsible mainly for financial management. The regional health areas for people will be mechanisms to enable all parties with roles in health systems to share responsibilities.
As the regional health areas for people are a new form of work, the draft regulation requires the evaluation of their performances at least every two years and the evaluation results must be reported to the cabinet and publicized.
Additional information:
The administration of each regional health area for people depends on its executive committee. The panel consists of representatives from concerned organizations; local administration organizations; non-profitable networks or non-governmental organizations working for women, people with disabilities, the elderly, children, adolescence, consumers and the environment among others; health volunteers; the mass media; hospitals; pharmacies; chambers of commerce; provincial industrial councils; health professional councils; experts; and local intellects. The executive members must represent parties working in respective areas. The structure of the Bangkok-based committee will be slightly different to suit local contexts.
The mandate of the committee of regional health areas for people are to:
1. support the knowledge management which emphasizes participation, study the health-related social capital and potential of local areas, and support the assessment of health status and the operations of the health system areas
2. direct the development of strategies and public policies;
3. coordinate and integrate the plans of partners in and outside the health system areas;
4. support the innovative development of cooperation through new tools and mechanisms;
5. give advice on health-related work to relevant agencies and organizations;
6. inform the society of operations in the health system areas; and
7. form sub-committees or working groups to keep operations relevant to local issues or contexts.
To guarantee flexible management and goal achievement, the National Health Commission is required to form a committee to support the regional health areas for people. The panel will comprise experts; representatives of relevant organizations, local administration organizations and non-profitable private organizations; and the secretary-general of the National Health Commission.
1. select the committee of the regional health areas for people
2. coordinate the cooperation with relevant organizations
3. give advice, recommendation and support on the development of working system of the regional health areas for people to National Health Commission
4. form sub-committees or working groups to work as assigned by the committee to support people-oriented health service areas
5. others as assigned by National Health Commission or Prime Minister
Source: www.hfocus.org on 2016-04-26 15:32
Photo credit: http://blogs.usembassy.gov/germany-forthepeople/