NASSAU, The Bahamas — Public Health managers at the clinical level in New Providence and the Family Islands, and representatives of the country’s national programmes, began meeting in a four-day Strategic Management in Public Health Workshop at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.
Hosted by the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Department of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the workshop is designed to equip managers at the clinical level with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for the effective and efficient development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of healthcare services throughout the country.
Mr. Michael Turner, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Development, told participants that strategic health planning will provide them with the opportunity to increase the availability, efficiency, productivity, effectiveness and other aspects of various activities and programmes.
Mr. Turner said the workshop will further assist them in the “strategic management” of the 115 health clinics and special units that fall under the control of the Department of Public Health.
“It is generally accepted that all managers in an organization make decisions and these decisions are all geared toward accomplishing set goals and objectives which were arrived at through the planning process,” Mr. Turner said.
“While you participate in this workshop, no doubt emphasis will be placed on management of your specific (unit) which fall under the ambit of the Ministry of Health’s Strategic Plan that has been documented for approximately eight years now,” Mr. Turner added.
He said there are various acceptable methods health planners must apply in their strategic planning. These include problem solving/planning, programme planning, planning for the allocation of resources and coordination of efforts and activities planning.
Mr. Turner said at the conclusion of the workshop, the managers will be able to outline the social determinants of health as they relate to primary health care; describe the role of National Strategic Plans for Health in the context of the health policy framework and outline the basic concepts, principles and components of strategic planning in health, among others.
