Bahrain: quality improvement in primary health care.

Abstract

One of Bahrains poorest villages Sitra is located on the south-central coast of Bahrain and has a population of 36000 relatively uneducated people. Sitra Health Center located in Sitra community provides primary level preventive and curative medical and dental care including health education to the local community. A 2-year project was launched to improve the quality of health care services offered in Sitra while either maintaining or reducing the cost of services. The project showed that staff at the health center level can be responsible for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their operations when the required staff development allocation of authority mentoring commitment cooperation and hard work are combined. While not universally judged to be a model of success by local decision-makers the project contributed to improved primary health care and to stimulating overdue discussion about management and professional possibilities to consider.