Critical care availability and readiness assessment of province general hospitals in Mongolia

Abstract

Background: In 2015, the Regional Committee for the western pacific of WHO approved the "Universal Health Coverage moving towards better life" /WPR/RC66.R2/1. The critical care services in Mongolia are fully funded by the state budget and are provided free of charge to every citizen. Our country selected a three-tier system it has been established to provide equal access to health care services to the population. Therefore, we need to assess the critical care availability and readiness of province general hospitals (PGH). Objective: To assess the readiness and availability of critical care services in province general hospitals in Mongolia. Material and methods: This study was selected according to the WHO SARA (Service Availability and Readiness Assessment) assessment model based on the following criteria: reliability, accuracy, scope, ease of use, and low cost and covered all 21 provinces general hospitals in Mongolia. Result: The general hospitals' Service Availability Index was measured as 20 points, the General Service Readiness Index evaluated as 92.8%, and the Critical care services availability Index matched as 68%. Conclusion: Our study found that province general hospitals' critical care services in Mongolia, did not fully meet international standards but access to care has been adequate as proposed in WPR/RC66.R2/1.