Integrated Health Service Delivery Network piloted in four regions

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

The Integrated Health Service Delivery Network (IHSDN) will be launched in four regions as a pilot, with other regions debuting the network in 2018. The network has already been launched in Regions One, Four and Nine, leaving just Region Ten to launch the network by the end of September this year.

Dr. Kay Shako, Director of Regional Health Services, Ministry of Public Health.

Dr. Kay Shako, Director of Regional Health Services Department within the Ministry of Public Health, provided an update to the Department of Public Information on some of the activities undertaken by her department thus far for 2017.

According to the Pan American Health Organisation World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), IHSDN can be defined as ‘a network of organisations’ that provides, or make arrangements to provide, equitable, comprehensive, integrated, and continuous health services to a defined population and is willing to be held accountable for its clinical and economic outcomes and the health status of the population served.

Dr. Shako explained, “in Integrated Health Service Delivery Network, we take every aspect of the patient care into consideration. So in other words, if the patient comes to the healthcare facility for hypertension we would not just manage hypertension but all the other aspects … especially the social determinants of health. When we talk about the social determinants of health we are talking about all those factors all those challenges that will actually prevent a patient from having optimum health care.”

The goal is to further ensure that patient centred treatment is offered. The RHS Director remarked that if a patient is to visit any primary health care facility, they should be able to access social services. She said that health can be defined as the physical, mental and social well-being of an individual which is what the Ministry of Public Health is trying to achieve.

“In this new delivery of health care, all sectors within the society are responsible for the patient’s optimum healthcare. Within this integrated health service delivery network, we look at health promotion and prevention we look at diagnosis we look at treatment we look at rehabilitation and also palliative care so in other words, it’s a full package that would be reached out to the patient”, Dr. Shako added.

The IHSDN engages with business coalitions, civil society, Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure that everything is under one network so patients are afforded holistic healthcare services. It will also allow everyone to participate and have an input on improving the healthcare system.

The Director said, “All sectors within society will take ownership and then everybody will be responsible for the patient’s healthcare not just the Ministry of Public Health. Integrated Health Service Delivery Network will be done in a primary healthcare setting meaning to say that it’s going to be done at our health posts and out health centres. You’re going to have the specialists and all levels of health care providers providing care for such a patient”.

 

By: Delicia Haynes

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