Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
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Sports, Health & Lifestyle
Written By: Observer staff
Article Date: Jan 15, 2008 - 7:16:50 AM
Prof.Sudhir Kumar
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Yemen needs strong and skilled health cadres who can improve the health system in this country. To build such professional cadres, some institutes such as the Health Management Research and Training Institute (HMRTI) are established to reach this important goal. To find out more about this institute and to get more information on its goals, the Yemen Observer met the director, Prof. Sudhir Kumar.
Prof. Kumar is an international public health expert. He has a distinguished academic, research and program management career, working with premier national and international health care organizations and research institutions. He also has an exceptional combination of health research, public health program management and health management training experience.
Yemen Observer: Could you tell us a little bit about the Health Management Research and Training Institute?
Prof. Sudhir Kumar: The HMRTI is a not-for-profit organization; a joint collaboration of the Saudi German Hospitals Group (SGHG) and the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) in Jaipur, India. IIHMR is a World Health Organization collaborating center in the South East Asia Region. SGHG is the largest hospital group in the region with operations in KSA, Yemen, UAE, and Egypt. The institute has been operational in the Republic of Yemen since June 2005. HMRTI is dedicated to the improvement of the health standards of people through health management, research and training.
YO: What are the main points that the HMRTI is going to focus on?
Prof. S.K: The Institute has three main thrust areas: Research & Consultancy: This includes designing & conducting health system research, policy analysis & review, program implementation research, operations research, baseline, concurrent & end-line evaluations, assessment studies, epidemiological research and survey research. Education: The Institute aspires to be the number one centre for health care management education in the region through its under-graduate, graduate and masters programs. The Institute shall provide comprehensive, need specific as well as the latest updated course content and structure, meeting international standards. Training: This will be a learning organization and will disseminate knowledge acquired through research and consultancies in order to improve the knowledge and practices of the health professionals. This will be achieved through management development programs, workshops, seminars, and conferences.
YO: What can the HMRTI offer to Yemeni students in the field of health education?
Prof. S.K: HMRTI was established to build a cadre of strong health and hospital management professionals who can work towards the continuous improvement of the health standards of the people in the region. HMRTI offers the latest knowledge and skill sets to enable them to achieve these targets. The first initiative in this regard will be to launch a Diploma in Hospital Management (DHM) program beginning in March 2008. Subsequently, the Institute will focus on educational programs in health and pharmaceutical management and short duration Management Development Programs (MDPs) for mid level professionals focusing on key health and hospital issues.
YO: Would you please describe the methodology that the Institute is going to use with students for the Diploma in Hospital Management course?
Prof. S.K: The program will be conducted on a modular pattern that combines classroom lectures with case studies, assignments, group discussions and presentations followed by an internship in various hospitals to get hands on experience in the topics covered by the theory in the classroom.
YO: To what extent are the curricula used for DHM up to date with the new developments in the health education field?
Prof. S.K: The curriculum is of international standards and will essentially be an effort towards replicating the modules taught at IIHMR in Jaipur while keeping the requirements of the region in mind. Efforts will also be made to work closely with other international organizations and the Ministry of Public Health and Population to ensure this.
YO: What sort of extracurricular activity will you be giving to students of the Institute?
Prof. S.K: In addition to the regular classroom teachings and activities, the Institute will focus on presentations, group discussions, field visits and hands on projects, both nationally and internationally. An alumni association of the Institute will be established to exchange ideas and have greater interaction with field professionals. Efforts will also be made to encourage other extra-curricular activities such as sports, debating, drama, etc.
YO: How many countries is HMRTI working in and what difficulties do you face when operating in the Middle East?
Prof. S.K: The Institute began its operations in the Republic of Yemen in June 2005 based on the model in India. The current operations of the institute extend to most of the South East Asian countries and Afghanistan. The Institute is getting immense support from the Ministry of Public of Health and Population, UN agencies, International NGOs and other agencies working in the field and there are no difficulties as such. The Institute intends to extend its operations to the African Horn Countries.
YO: How do you evaluate the health services in Yemen and what needs to improve?
Prof. S.K: The health care scenario has been improving in recent years but still needs to go a long way before they meet international standards. There is shortage of qualified medical and paramedical staff, as well as health care facilities, at various levels. The critical health care indicators like maternal mortality, infant mortality, and high birth rate do not reflect well on the health situation. And it is a scenario like this which demands an academic program like ours which will help create a cadre of qualified and skilled professionals who can manage health care facilities, applying modern management techniques and improving the efficiency and efficacy of the institutions.
YO: How do you evaluate the health training that is being offered to Yemeni students and what does it lack?
Prof. S.K: The current health training offered to Yemeni students is not geared to address the challenges of today and is limited. The course offered by HMRTI is unique and would open up vistas and prepare “Managers of Tomorrow,” adequately trained and skilled to address any challenges.
YO: Can you tell us more about the not-for-profit programs that the SGHG is adopting and conducting?
Prof. S.K: SGHG promotes and adheres to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. Therefore, it has created several institutions to serve the community, such as:
1 Saudi Entrepreneurship Development Institute 2 Family Business Academy 3 Charity Blood Bank
These institutions are all pioneers in their respective fields and will go a long way towards improving the lives of people in the Arab region.
YO: What is your mission and what are the most important goals that you would like to achieve at the Institute and in general?
Prof. S.K: Our mission is to improve the health standards of the people through health management research and training. To achieve this, we aim to develop successful models of service delivery and management, train professionals to effectively manage health services and disseminate contemporary information and modern management approaches to the Arab world.
We would like to create a world class institution, addressing the regional issues of health through its prime thrust areas of research and education. Our activities are also aimed at improving the general awareness level of the professionals and the common man at large which will help improve the overall health quality and standards in the region.
YO: What kind of help and support do you need from officials in Yemen?
Prof. S.K: The Institute looks forward to support from the Government of Yemen, the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the United Nation Organizations, other international organizations and local business houses, which can be achieved by supporting its activities, especially the educational program, by nominating students and giving support in terms of scholarships and in kind donations which would help establish and sustain this institution of key importance to this region.
