Assessment of the Actual Treatment Abroad Department at Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH)

Based on the policy of Health for all in the twenty-first century adopted by the world community in May 1998, to realize the vision of the World Health Assembly at the Alma-Ata conference in 1978, World Health Organization (WHO) had develop the World Health Survey (WHS) as a mean of providing low-cost, valid, reliable and comparable information. (WHS) served as an evidence base to monitor the efficiency of different health systems in meeting the desired goals. Thus providing policy makers with the evidence they might need to adjust their policies, strategies, and programs as necessary. This study aims to assess the performance of treatment abroad department in the Ministry of Health (MOH), to rationalize spending cost and to find options to decrease this cost by providing alternatives for replacing treatment abroad by treatment in Palestinian health care facilities to demonstrate the importance of having centers of excellence and comprehensive health care services in Palestine. The study was conducted during the period of January-May, 2006. To achieve our goal and objectives, data was collected through structured interviews utilizing a questionnaire for five key informants, one for decision maker of MOH, another for chairperson of treatment abroad department, physicians and policy makers in public sector (governmental), physicians and administrative persons in private sector, NGOS and UNRWA, and the last one for patients who receive treatment abroad inside Palestine (in private sector, NGOS, UNRWA hospitals), and outside Palestine (in Jordan and Israel). The sample of the study was (191) patients, (92) collected from Jordan hospitals, (99) patients from west bank, (40) employees from private and public sector, one for decision maker and one for chairperson of treatment abroad department. Quantitative collected data was analyzed using SPSS while other qualitative data was analyzed manually. Several hypotheses were formulated and tested, the results of the current study showed the highest percent of reason for referral abroad have been tumor disease with 33%, then cardiac disease with 17%, organs transplantation with 5.8%and 1.6%invitro fertilization. IN relation to reason of referral cases abroad, the highest cause that the treatment not available in Palestine with percent 43.6%, second because services were not of good quality26.7%, the third reason there was a long waiting list for intervention 14.1%, 4.7%no trust for medical team in Palestine. From analysis of patient questionnaire there was relationship between disadvantages of referral abroad and suggestions to avoid referral treatment abroad, ministry of health should provide an inclusive medical health system. The result also showed that questionnaire for other key informant illustrate the importance and need of integration between all health care providers sectors in Palestine and encourage treatment abroad inside Palestine rather than outside Palestine.