WHO & Palestinian Ministry of Health work towards creating health facilities database – WHO article

Health facilities database: generating information on health facilities and mapping health service provision

September 6 – WHO and the Palestinian Health Information Centre at the Ministry of Health held a training workshop in Ramallah for Ministry statisticians from 12 West Bank districts on data collection for the health facilities database. The workshop introduced a new comprehensive questionnaire for primary health care facilities and hospitals in all of occupied Palestinian territory. The participants were also provided with instructions on the process of data collection and information updating.

The facilities questionnaire for the first time seeks detailed information on human resources for health, which can be useful for identifying areas with a heavy workload and for facilitating improvements; other new data will be in the form of information on accessibility for persons with disabilities, patient travelling time and mode of transport and patients’ access to clinics.

Data collection for the West Bank began on 9 September, and is expected to cover 669 primary health clinics and 51 hospitals, including those of the United Nations Relief and Works Agencyy for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and non-governmental organizations. Ministry statisticians in the Gaza Strip were also briefed on the new questionnaire and data collection, which was begun in the Gaza Strip simultaneously, and is expected to cover 223 primary health care facilities and 28 hospitals. After the data collection is finalized the data will be entered into an online health facilities database and be reflected in maps using the geographic information system.

By early 2013, the database will be able to provide disaggregated information for the first time by district level and will be linked to a fact sheet providing a snap-shot of health service provision and utilization at district health facilities.