Marie-Pierre Lloyd is a minister of health in Seychelles since 2007. She was Minister of Social Affairs & Employment until that time.
The newly appointed Health Services Authority (HSA) will be directly responsible for providing health services while the Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MHSD) will be responsible for policy issues. The Minister for MHSD (ministry of health and social development in Seychelles), Marie-Pierre Lloyd, announced this yesterday in an interview at the Victoria Hospital, where she said that Anne Lafortune is the principal secretary (PS) for MHSD, as the former PS for Health, Jude Gedeon, becomes the chief medical officer for community health services within the HSA.
Minister Lloyd said that the Authority, which she appointed recently, is responsible for providing health services for everyone living in Seychelles, with the objective of using the resources available to it in the most beneficial, effective and efficient manner to provide preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services.
The minister said that provision of health services will be within the context of the wider strategic framework set by the Health Department (HD) “and the more specific services development plan of the Health Services Authority agreed annually with the Health Department.”
She said that the services set out in the annual plan will be delivered within the resources allocated annually by the HD.
“The Health Services Authority is responsible for the day to day management of the delivery of health services provided by the public sector in Seychelles. It will be headed by a chief executive officer (Maryse Berlouis) who will report to the minister. The HSA will advise the HD on strategic issues pertaining to services delivery as they arise and will ensure that services are delivered within proper quality standards,” she said.
An advisory board that will be chaired by Maurice Loustau-Lalanne has also been set up. Its vice-chairperson will be Dr Miodrag Todorovic, while Dr Bernard Valentin will be its secretary.
Its members will be Dr Peter Lee, Professor Arthur Tanner, Colette Servina from the Seychelles Red Cross, Dr V. Ramadoss who heads the Seychelles Medical and Dental Association, Marie-Antoinette Hoareau representing the Nurses Association of the Republic of Seychelles and Maryse Berlouis.
The health promotion and disease prevention division is now responsible for the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including new and re-emerging diseases.
It will develop disease-prevention programmes putting emphasis on fostering healthy lifestyle and health conducive environments and behaviours while monitoring the implementation of these programmes at all levels throughout the country.
It will also develop, produce and disseminate health promotion and educational materials, conduct disease surveillance activities and monitor disease patterns and epidemiological changes and develop appropriate responses.
It is this division that will organise and conduct inspections of premises and make recommendations and also implement comprehensive and active disease detection and confirmation strategies, while educating the public on their rights and responsibilities to health. It will also collect, analyse and distribute statistical data and make recommendations
The health systems development division (HSDD) will see to the strategic development of the health system while putting emphasis on developing strategies to ensure the distributive equity of the health service as well as its sustainability and responsiveness. This division will monitor the implementation of national health policies and plans, advise the Health Advisory Authority on policy and legislative issues and assist in the promulgation and implementation of laws and regulations that affect public health.
The HSDD will also plan and develop human resource needs of the Health Department.
Minister Lloyd said that it will be obvious to the different personnel within the ministry whether they fall under the Authority or under the Health Department, but noted that majority of them will be within the Authority as it is the one that will be delivering services to the people.
The media pledged to continuously apprise the public of the provisions of the different ways that the MHSD will continue to function as it aims to offer better services. |
