Quarterly Review 3 – 2022
In general: The 3rd quarter shows both positive developments and a setback. Let’s start with what was helpful: COVID19 continued its decline and or hiding. Until its return, there is again momentum for us to catch up with the delays. After approving the new MoH’s National Strategic Plan for NCD 2023 – 2030 – with the peer educator networks explicitly included – the ball is in our camp to try deliver on targets and indicators in collaboration with our counterparts. The National Multisectoral Plan for NCD 2022-2030 with all the ministries and main partners participating, was reviewed on 16 September 2022 in Siem Reap. MoPoTsyo had been invited to give a presentation and this was well received by participants.
Expansion activities: Six Doctors got refresher on-the-job-training at Center of Hope. 2 from Thmar Pouk OD in Banteay Meanchey, 2 from Chhlong OD doctors, 1 from Posenchey and 1 from Kampong Speu. We started a new PE training of candidates who are all diabetic patients: 4 from Chhlong OD, together with 2 more candidates from Kang Meas OD in Kampong Cham and 1 more from Prey Kabas in Takeo, total 7 candidates. On 5 and 8 August, the seven new peer educators successfully passed the exam, and returned home with their equipment and supplies to start work. Several among them are VHSG as well as PE and will have to combine their work as VHSG with their work for MoPoTsyo. All the necessary preparations for the new peer educator network in Chloong OD in Kratie have been completed and the services were launched successfully at the end of September by Primary Prevention activities in 4 communes and 10 villages to introduce the service launch. By the end of September, the first 100 diabetes patients have registered, laboratory services have been used. The extensive laboratory profiles are helpful during the medical consultations by the government Doctors. Medical Consultations have started at Chhloong Referral Hospital with sessions for registered members at 2 times per month. The peer educator team includes a member of the Cham population. Her health promotion activities already resulted in registration of many diabetes patients from Cham communities. Regarding Prek Phnov OD in Phnom Penh: we cannot find more suitable candidates living there who are willing and available to become PE. So far only 1 PE was trained, not enough. Takeo: The old peer educators from Ang Roka OD received a refresher training in preparation for the relaunch. Further preparations for the official first medical consultation at Referral Hospital Ang Roka with the Peer Educator Network are under way. It is planned for next month. The boosting of the program at Prey Kabas OD seems to have worked as medical consultations are well attended now with the pharmacy inside the public service. Kampong Speu OD: A new person has been identified to work as the pharmacist at Dom Kravanh HC. We hope that she can start in early October. We hope to operate the services there at 2 Health Centers in that OD.
A regrettable development is that the national tax authority rejected our request for a VAT-exemption, and decided that MoPoTsyo must pay VAT on the contributions that our members make to us for their routine medications, even though these contributions are being done inside the public services. This will force us to pass on related extra cost in the form of higher prices for the medications. This is unfortunate for many of the patients, but we will give higher prices a try from 01-01-2023 onward. This decision does not happen because there is a misunderstanding: We have gone through a process of appeals where we could present our arguments but we failed to convince.
Obviously, a different “social health protection” picture will emerge once we will have introduced the new prices: more people will struggle with the monthly cost than now. The effects and challenges in maintaining a good level of equity between the different modes of access should be monitored because different protection schemes result in different “levels” of service. Ideally, all these patients should get what they need medically, and social health protection mechanisms finance that equitable access efficiently. But that is for the moment a pie in the sky. Let’s wait and see in 2023-Q1 how it goes. In the meantime, our NGO has to adapt its administration and accounting to comply with the VAT system.
Laboratory: The second independent external quality control of our laboratory this year showed very good results demonstrating that our lab results are reliable.
Financial Audit 2021 report was translated into Khmer and was submitted electronically to the national authority.