Resource Type: Report
Authors: Stephen Musau and Abigail Vogus
Published: 4/1/2012

Resource Description:

As a part of the U.S.-Caribbean Regional HIV and AIDS Partnership Framework 2010-2014, USAID/Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (USAID) asked the Health Systems 20/20 and the Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector projects to conduct an integrated health systems and private sector assessment to identify priorities for technical assistance that would ensure financial sustainability of HIV programming. The assessment team found one of the main threats to financial sustainability for health programs, including HIV, was that limited data exist on the cost of providing health services in St. Lucia. In preparation for the commissioning of the New National Hospital (NNH), it will be beneficial for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to understand their current cost of services as a foundation to project their costs at the NNH and ensure appropriate resources are allocated for other facilities and programs.

Given the high visibility and priority of opening a new facility, unexpected costs at the NNH have the potential to divert resources from primary care, including HIV services. The costing study described in this report was requested by the MOH to provide input into its planning process for the NNH and the transition of Victoria Hospital into a polyclinic. Victoria Hospital is currently St. Lucia’s main referral hospital. The public facility has 164-beds, a 24-hour Accidents and Emergency Unit1 (A&E) and outpatient clinics, including a Renal Dialysis Unit.