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The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $32 million Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project to improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram, situated in the North East region of India, particularly for the benefit of underserved areas and vulnerable groups.
The project will strengthen the governance and the management structure of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries, improve the quality and coverage of services delivered by the state government health systems, and invest in a comprehensive Quality Assurance program which would enable quality certification of health facilities.
A key focus will be to strengthen the effectiveness of the state health insurance program; build synergies with the Government of India’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY); and thereby reduce financial barriers in accessing hospital services, prevent catastrophic out of pocket expenditure for health by poor families and expand coverage.
The Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project will benefit the people across all eight districts of the state. It will also benefit health sector staff, specifically at the secondary and primary levels, by strengthening their planning and management capacity along with building their clinical skills and competencies.
“While Mizoram performs better than the national average on many key health indicators, access to quality health services is a challenge, particularly in rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has also adversely impacted the delivery of essential health services,” said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. “This project will support the state government’s efforts to deliver quality healthcare for the poor and vulnerable and those located in remote areas.”
