Health
National Health Sector Strategic Plan Launched
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, May 20, 2024 – The Turks and Caicos is attempting to optimize the tens of millions it spends on healthcare each year with a new National Health Sector Strategic Plan to guide how money is allocated and increase efficiency in healthcare and increase health equity.
Shaun Malcolm, Minister of Health presented the theme ‘Building a Strong Resilient and Sustainable Healthcare System for Future Generations Brick by Brick’.
Desiree Lewis, Permanent Secretary of Health explained that the document “identifies and prioritizes key health issues and challenges facing the population allowing resources to be allocated efficiently to address those priorities.”
In doing so the plan is also supposed to promote collaboration between the various stakeholders in the Health industry including policy makers, legislators, doctors and other healthcare professionals on the ground; giving them an outlined set of objectives to work on in their various spheres, for a specific collective outcome.
”This will facilitate a more unified approach to addressing health challenges and leveraging resources effectively,” Lewis explains.
Modeled to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 3 which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, the plan was developed during COVID-19 and presented by Lynrod Brooks, Director of Health Policy and Planning in the
The plan maintains that in order to attain a healthier and empowered people there are three key actions necessary: protecting health gain, already achieved in the country; addressing past deficiencies; and identifying and implementing interventions to address new health challenges.
In order to achieve the goals set out, in addition to the three key actions there are six Strategic Directions that health stakeholders will follow
- SD1 Strengthen Leadership, Governance and Administration: ‘Ensuring entities transform resources into results,’
- SD2 Protect and Improve Universal Health Coverage (UHC): ‘Provide people of all ages and all health needs with health services.’
- SD3 Address Health Security: ‘Identify outbreaks and other health threats.’
- SD4 Promote Healthy Populations: ‘Support the creation of a conducive environment to support well-being, healthy living,’
- SD5 Invest in Health: ‘Ensure appropriate resources are available and efficiently used.’
- SD6 Improve Data for Impact: Increase the availability, quality and use of timely and accurate health information
Some of the priority areas under the health plan that these six Strategic Directions seek to address include, pandemic prevention; increased mental and behavioral healthcare; Strengthened national capacity against health emergencies and disasters; universal access to comprehensive, quality health services; reduced risk of non-communicable diseases; and Increased equitable access to essential medicines and vaccines.
The 3 year document will also make provisions for monitoring and evaluation so policy makers can assess if the plan is actually working. It’s billed to enhance accountability with a quarterly report to be presented for the 3-year period.
Attending the event were a myriad of professionals and policy makers indicative of the many areas of the healthcare industry which the plan will affect; attendees included: Dr Rufus Ewing, Former Premier and Minister of Health; Dr. Eldonna Boisson, the Pan American Health Organization representative for the Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas; Dr Ellis Webster, Premier of Anguilla; Washington Misick, TCI Premier; Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam, TCI Governor and others.