Lao People's Democratic Republic : Improving the Quality of Health Care Project

Sovereign Project | 53291-001

The proposed project will enhance the Ministry of Health (MOH)'s capacity to deliver high-quality health care, with a focus on expanding quality healthcare services in provincial and district health facilities. Quality health care is a key component of effective universal health coverage (UHC) under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Lao Health Sector Reform (HSR), 2013-2030. Quality health care and responsiveness to patients' preferences encourages people to seek care, and results in enhanced health outcomes. The project will (i) help design and make operational a quality governance mechanism; (ii) enhance quality assurance for health professional education institutions (HPEIs) and health human resources (HHRs); (iii) upgrade existing district hospitals and HPEIs; and (iv) improve health facility management through management training, continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles and health information systems.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Esperato Martinez, Alexo R.
    Sectors Group
    Request for information
  • Approval Date
    18 August 2023
  • Country/Economy
    Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Sector
    • Health
Project Name Improving the Quality of Health Care Project
Project Number 53291-001
Country / Economy Lao People's Democratic Republic
Project Status Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan 4337-LAO: Improving the Quality of Health Care Project
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending US$ 45.00 million
Operational Priorities OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
Sector / Subsector

Health / Health system development

Gender Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The proposed project will enhance the Ministry of Health (MOH)'s capacity to deliver high-quality health care, with a focus on expanding quality healthcare services in provincial and district health facilities. Quality health care is a key component of effective universal health coverage (UHC) under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Lao Health Sector Reform (HSR), 2013-2030. Quality health care and responsiveness to patients' preferences encourages people to seek care, and results in enhanced health outcomes. The project will (i) help design and make operational a quality governance mechanism; (ii) enhance quality assurance for health professional education institutions (HPEIs) and health human resources (HHRs); (iii) upgrade existing district hospitals and HPEIs; and (iv) improve health facility management through management training, continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles and health information systems. The project will be implemented in 16 districts in 10 provinces of the Lao PDR,3F and is expected to directly benefit 1.6 million inpatients and outpatients each year, particularly poor patients from rural districts, women, elderly people, people with a disability, and members of ethnic minorities, all of whom rely on public health care.4F It builds on previous Asian Development Bank (ADB) programs, and will support HSR Phase III (2021-2025) and Phase IV (2026-2030)
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The proposed project will contribute to the HSR's Phase III (2021-2025) and IV (2026-2030)'s thrust to expand quality essential health services in local facilities (district hospitals and below). The project aligns with the operational priorities (OP) of ADB's Strategy 2030; (i) addressing remaining poverty and reduce inequalities (OP1), by pursuing UHC and reducing health vulnerabilities; (ii) accelerating progress in gender equality (OP2), by enabling women to pursue health professional education opportunities, participate in QHC governance, and by addressing their unmet health needs; (iii) tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and by enhancing environmental sustainability (OP3) through climate-smart design of civil works; and (iv) strengthening governance and institutional capacity (OP6), by developing and operationalizing QHC, personnel, and hospital management policies. The project also contributes to priority 2 (enhanced human development) of ADB's 2017-2020 country partnership strategy for the Lao PDR and its extension.
Impact

Sustainable Development Goals related to the health sector achieved by 2030

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Foundations for high-quality health care strengthened and utilization of health services increased

Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

Governance mechanisms for quality assurance and CQI enhanced

HHRs to deliver quality health services strengthened

Quality and management of health facilities boosted

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)
Geographical Location Nation-wide
Safeguard Categories
Environment B
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services The project includes 20 consulting services packages (19 individual consultant packages and 1 consulting firm packages). All packages will undergo OCB arrangement with prior review from ADB. The design and construction supervision consulting firm will be engaged using quality-cost-based selection (90:10 quality-cost ratio). Advance contracting is proposed for the national design and construction supervision firm, the accounting firm, the CTA, the international architect, the program manager/deputy CTA, the international procurement specialist, the national procurement specialist, the national project administrator, and the national planning, budgeting and M&E assistant.
Procurement

All advance contracting will be undertaken in accordance with the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and the Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers: Goods, Works, Nonconsulting, and Consulting Services (2017, as amended from time to time). The issuance of invitations to bid under advance contracting and retroactive financing will be subject to ADB approval. The borrower and MOH have been advised that approval of advance contracting and retroactive financing does not commit ADB to finance the project.

Advance contracting will involve selection of key PMU consultants and the design and construction supervision firm for civil works up to, but not including, contract signing. Given the current capacity of the borrower, additional advance contracting support maybe required to enable timely mobilization of consultants and procurement.

The project includes 8 civil works packages, 15 goods packages, and 3 non-consulting service packages. Most of the civil works and goods packages, and all vehicles, will be rely on open competitive bidding (OCB), except for specific readily available, simple, low-risk goods and non-consulting service packages, which will be procured using RFQ. Prior review will be made on (i) the packages using OCB with international advertisement, (ii) first two works and first goods packages using OCB with national advertisement, and (iii) first package using RFQ. The rest of the works and goods packages will be under post-sampling review. Three packages for non-consulting services will be procured using RFQ.

Responsible ADB Officer Esperato Martinez, Alexo R.
Responsible ADB Department Sectors Group
Responsible ADB Division Human and Social Development Sector Office (SG-HSD)
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Health
Timetable
Concept Clearance 07 Oct 2019
Fact Finding 08 Jun 2020 to 12 Jun 2020
MRM 17 Apr 2020
Approval 18 Aug 2023
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 22 Aug 2023

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.


Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

Title Document Type Document Date
Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Social Due Diligence Report Safeguards Due Diligence Reports Jun 2020
Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Initial Environmental Examination Initial Environmental Examination Jun 2020

Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.


Related Publications

None currently available.


The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

Tender Title Type Status Posting Date Deadline
Consulting services for design and construction supervision services for various building constructions Firm - Consulting Closed
International Architecture Individual - Consulting Closed
National Project Manager/Deputy Chief Technical Adviser (NPM/DTCA) Individual - Consulting Closed
National Chief of Project Management Unit (PMU) Administrator Individual - Consulting Closed
International Procurement Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
Chief of Technical Advisor Individual - Consulting Closed
National Planning, Budgeting, and M&E Assistant Individual - Consulting Closed
National Procurement Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation assistant Individual - Consulting Closed
Project Manager/Deputy Chief Technical Advisor Individual - Consulting Closed
Consulting services for design and construction supervision services Firm - Consulting Closed
Project Administrator Individual - Consulting Closed
International Chief Technical Adviser Individual - Consulting Closed
International Architect Individual - Consulting Closed
Procurement Specialist1 Individual - Consulting Closed

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan

Title Document Type Document Date
Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Procurement Plan Procurement Plans Apr 2023