The Ministry of Health (MoH),health partners and health non-government organizations have discussed a recently completed formal assessment tool for Maternal and Child Health (MCH)programs in Timor-Leste.
The Director Cabinet for Health Quality Assurance of MoH Feliciano Pinto said the assessment tool was prepared by the Ministry, but needs to be discussed with partners to standardise MCH practice towards improving the quality of MCH health servicesto thecommunity.
He said the new MCH assessment tool will be used to measure the progress of maternal and child health programs being implemented by the government and partners in the field.
“It will be the guideline for assessment of the quality of maternal and children health services in Timor-Leste,” he said after the public consultation with the partners at the MoH, in Caicoli, Dili.
The Director added the previous format was adequate but already old and that version needed to be revised to match current conditions in the country on the provision of MCH services in the community.
He reflected also that despite maternal and child health programs being implemented adequately, the coverage and quality of services needs to be expanded.
On the other hand, Health Policy Adviser of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Timor-Leste, Doctor Dolores Castello said it is time to have this new formal assessment based on the real situation in Timor-Leste.
She said the new format will assist MCH program implementers and health staff to make improvements to the quality of services and of care dispensedto communities.
“There needs to be a good instrument with which to monitor better and it will be important to be able to improve the quality of services,” she said.
She said a key objectiveis not just increasing the amount of health services provided to the community but such services need to reflect quality of treatment provided.
Even though the new assessment tool is still being discussed, it will eventually define the quality of health services that Timor-Leste needs to have.
