Lao People's Democratic Republic : Improving the Quality of Health Care Project
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
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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 |
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| Project Status | Approved | ||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Loan |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| 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 |
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| Sector / Subsector | Health / Health system development |
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| 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 |
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| 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 | |
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| 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.
| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Loan Agreement (Ordinary Operations [Concessional]) for Loan 4337-LAO: Improving the Quality of Health Care Project | Loan Agreement (Ordinary Resources) | Oct 2023 |
| Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Project Administration Manual | Project/Program Administration Manual | Jul 2023 |
| Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Gender Action Plan | Gender Action Plans | Jul 2023 |
| Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Report and Recommendation of the President | Reports and Recommendations of the President | Jul 2023 |
| Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Procurement Plan | Procurement Plans | Apr 2023 |
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.
$45 Million ADB Financing to Strengthen Health Care Services in Lao PDR
ADB has approved a $45 million financing package to help strengthen quality health care in 16 districts across 10 provinces in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Tenders
Contracts Awarded
Procurement Plan
| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Improving the Quality of Health Care Project: Procurement Plan | Procurement Plans | Apr 2023 |