São Paulo – The World Bank approved last Wednesday (21st) the Health System Resiliency Strengthening Project to support Palestine. The project, whose predominant target is Gaza, should provide US$ 8.5 million for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to maintain healthcare services working and improve hospital facilities to withstand the surge in demand.
An Ibrd press release says conflicts in Gaza in July and August 2014 took a heavy toll on the local healthcare system, driving up patient care costs and placing a significant burden on Palestine’s economy.
The number of casualties from the conflicts is high. Conditions have also deteriorated with regard to cleanliness, sterilization, and growing infection rates after patients have been discharged from hospitals.
“It is now more pressing and important than ever to support the Palestinian Authority to build resilient institutions and systems” said Samira Hillis, the World Bank’s Senior Operations Officer and Project Team Leader, according to the press release.
“Over a third of Palestinians living in Gaza were already poor or vulnerable when the conflict began. The war has caused extensive damage in terms of human lives and infrastructure as well as long-term disabilities amounting to over 1,000 cases,” she said,
The project will supply fuel to Gaza hospitals, which are plagued by frequent power outages, and other basic materials for patient care. An action plan will also be outlined to provide universal coverage, including a schedule of actions required to improve service delivery capacity, minimize system losses, and ensure higher quality services.
“In recent years fiscal space available for the delivery of essential public services has gradually diminished in the Palestinian Territories mainly due to slowed economic growth and decreased donor aid,” the World Bank’s Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza said in the press release.
“The ministry of Health has already initiated reform measures to deal with the growing and fiscally unsustainable referral expenses [for treatment in other countries] and we look forward to supporting more comprehensive reforms,” he said.
The project supports process standardization, consolidation of information flows and databases, capacity building and establishing quality facilities. it also calls for developing and implementing a strong framework for strategic purchasing of referral services.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
