The concept of a minimum service package (MSP) or an essential service package (ESP) is rooted in the need to provide a package of public health and clinical interventions that are not only cost effective, socially and economically accessible to the population (especially the poor), but also deal with the priority disease burdens of the population
Minimum Service Package defines package of service
s to be provided at each level of care within the PHC system, the human and material resources required to implement these services, it also included the requisite service standards, the indicators required in measuring tangible progress and outputs. OVERALL GOAL
The overall goal of this document is to uniformly define, for the various levels of primary health care, the Minimum Standards (systems, staffing, equipment, service delivery etc) required in order to improve access and quality of services. It is also intended as a vital tool for effective supervision, monitoring and evaluation and to aid effective planning, development and delivery of PHC services. It is also expected that it will guide investment in the delivery of PHC services by all stake holders
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To define Minimum Standards in the following areas:
1. Health infrastructure: Types/Levels of PHC facilities including recommended infrastructure dimensions, furniture and equipment
2. Human resources for health: Minimum recommended number of staff and cadre for each type of health facility
3. Service provision: Recommended minimum PHC services for each facility type including the minimum requirement of medical equipment and essential drugs (From the National Essential Drugs list) required to achieve these services
4. Supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation: Recommended interaction between each level of service delivery. To aid effective planning, development and delivery of PHC services
5.
