USAID/PHCPI Model Clinics Initiative in Iraq

The initiative envisions a Model Clinic as a clinic equipped with modern medical equipment, stocked with necessary drugs and medical supplies, staffed with well-trained providers who are in compliance with MOH clinical protocols and guidelines, and efficiently functioning within a reliable health system. To achieve the shared goal of improved primary health care services, the project worked with the MOH to refurbish 36 primary health care centers (PHCCs) with the required medical equipment and supplies necessary to effectively provide the services outlined in Iraq's Basic Health Services Package. The MOH intends to upgrade the remainder of the 298 clinics targeted under the PHCPI project to this model standard through the use of its cost share and other routine budget resources. The MOH-PHCPI team has identified 85 standards, grouped into eight domains, that cover all elements of a fully functional Model Clinic. These domains include physical structure, utilities, and furniture; cleanliness and infection control; patients' rights and client care; diagnostic and pharmaceutical services; health promotion and community partnership; leadership, management, and quality improvement; medical records and continuity of care; and maternal and child health. Since its start, USAID/PHCPI has worked hand in hand with the MOH to improve the quality of primary health care services of 298 targeted PHCCs, including the remaining 34 Model Clinics. Key activities included strengthening management systems, improving clinical services, especially those targeting the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5, enhancing community participation in PHCC decision making, and supplying the clinics with the necessary equipment and upgrades. The PHCPI Model Clinics team, in collaboration with the MOH Quality Department, developed an assessment instrument based on the jointly agreed upon model clinic criteria to enable the MOH to evaluate the progress made at each clinic toward achieving model clinic certification. A set of indicators was developed to allow for more accurate and objective assessment, as well as a scoring methodology in line with MOH policies and procedures. Model Clinic staff have been trained on 28 clinical and managerial guidelines that were updated jointly by PHCPI and the MOH, and over 2,500 Model Clinic staff have been trained on the updated guidelines.