The role of contractual arrangements in improving health sector ...

INTRODUCTION
Bahrain
This study was conducted as part of an initiative by the WHO Regional Office for the
Eastern Mediterranean to assess the role of contractual arrangements in improving health
sector performance in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The scope of this
initiative is to undertake exploratory case studies to document experience with outsourcing of
publicly financed health services to private sector organization in those countries of the region
that have a large private and/or nongovernmental organizations sector, and to assist in
developing a regional strategy on public private partnership in health in the Eastern
Mediterranean Region. The specific objectives are: to assess the overall capacity for
contracting out health services to private sector in the country; to assess a project/programme
in health that had taken up contractual arrangement as an implementation modality; to
organize a national meeting of the concerned stakeholders on contractual arrangements for
improving the performance of the health sector and present the finding of the study; and to
participate in a regional meeting on the subject to present the findings of the study.
METHODOLOGY
After an extensive review of the literature, two data collection tools were designed to
facilitate assessment (one for overall country capacity, and the other for contract/agreement
case study). The information was gathered by the following approaches:
Extensive review of available reliable documents, including:
Related legislative decrees.
Tender Central Board rules and regulations.
Civil Service Bureau rules and regulations.
Ministry of Finance and National Economy rules and regulations.
Ministry of Health rules and regulations.
Contracts/agreements and related reports.
Consultants reports (KPMG, International Monetary Fund and Arthur Anderson).
King Hamad General Hospital Committee documents on Future privatization options
and issues.
Australian Hospital Design Group reports.
Meeting with concerned officials in the Ministry of Health Headquarter, Directorate of Finance,
Directorate of Medical Equipment, Directorate of Services and Salmania Medical
Complex.
Meeting with concerned managers in private sectors (private hospitals and private companies).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: OVERALL CAPACITY
Internal factors affecting capacity to contract
Human resources
Sufficient staff with appropriate skills are essential prerequisites for successful
contracting process. In particular, skilled staff are needed at the outset to identify potential
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