Efficiency of Health Facility lies in the good management, monitoring and supervision by the Health Facility Operational Management Committee (HFOMC). Keeping in view the importance of community participation in governance of local health facilities and services and based on the Local Self-Governance Act 1999, the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), decided to handover the local health institutions to local bodies as per decentralization policy. Under this provision, Health Facility Operation and Management Committees (HFOMC) are supposed to govern all the affairs of local health facilities. The HFOMC is a legitimate body formed locally at each health facility whose structure is inclusive in nature. But mere handover of the health facilities to local body thus HFOMC was not sufficient. The main thrust of this initiative is to make the local community more responsible in managing local level health facilities and health programs.
The Ministry of Health and Population with the support from Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP)-II has been vigorously implementing the Health Facility Management Strengthening Program (HFMSP) to improve the management skills of the Health Facility Operation and Management Committee (HFOMC). Since Health Facility Operation and Management Committee is supposed to govern all the affairs of local health facilities under decentralization policy, the capacity building of the committee especially managing health facilities is deemed necessary and thus this program has been aptly designed to enhance the management skills of the members of the HFOMC.
NFHP-II initiated the HFMSP in four districts (Banke, Kanchanpur, Dang and Surkhet) covering 55 VDCs in 2007/08.
Nepali Technical Assistance Group (NTAG) was assigned to conduct HFMSP training in eight districts (Rolpa, Pyuthan, Dailekh, Sindhuli, Salyan, Banke, Surkhet and Dang). The training activity and review meetings were conducted in each of the VDCs separately with all the HFOMCs at different time periods.
The program focused on building the capacity of the Health Facility Operation Management Committees (HFOMC) by conducting training, review meetings and technical support visits. It involved a two years period of support (one-year intensive implementation and one year limited technical support). The training activity and review meetings were conducted in each of the VDCs separately with all the HFOMCs at different time periods. The overall objective of the training was to enhance the management skills of the members of the HFOMC by imparting them knowledge, skills and attitude so as to build their capacity to govern all the affairs of local health facilities under decentralization policy.
Project Period: 2010-2011