Public Private Partnership Plan for the Mdabulo Hospital Project

The following is a brief about the partnership status between Mdabulo Mission, the NGO, and the government of Tanzania. The Public Private Partnership (PPP) plan is a 3-way partnership between the parties aforementioned. We have talked to our friends in Dar es Salaam like USAID and CIDA, about pre-existing documentation for PPPs and what it looks like, and we've received a few examples. The District Medical Officer is also crafting a new form for a PPP, that should be ready soon and this will mean that we will have an officially recognized written agreement involving everyone, and all facets of the project at Mdabulo will be agreed upon.

The agreements will include, but will not be exclusive to:

-operating of the Hospital: How will medicine and treatment be given to patients, at what cost etc?

-what measures will be taken to provide the best quality services to the people in this rural area? 

-what contributions, start-up and ongoing will each party be responsible for providing?

-how will future agreements and changes be made between the parties going forward?

In conjunction with this agreement, a committee has been formed that will include a member from our NGO, the Ward Executive Officer (local government), the longest standing nurse at the facility, and Dr. Ndenga who has been Clinical Officer at Mdabulo since 1984,  who will act as second in command to Chairman- Father Duma who is priest at the Mission. The committee will meet four times a year and discussions will continue referring to the objectives above. 

All of this will ensure that proper services are given to this community. This will avoid the mission facility raising prices of the treatment and services, thus out-pricing the local community (like what has happenned at the nearest private hospital at Lugoda). It will also help us stave off corruption as there will be more people from different places involved, and, finally it will create a system of encouraging excellence for the whole program.

Each shareholder’s contributions have already been realized to a certain extent. The following are the so far informal agreements that have been discussed.

Mdabulo Mission:

Initial contribution of the land and existing buildings, ongoing contributions of supplementary staff such as nurses, and monthly top-up of medications that will be needed.

Tanzania Government:

Initial and ongoing contribution of Dr. Ndenga (Clinical officer who has been at the facility since 1984) and certification of the facility to be upgraded to a Hospital. Govt. has already given certification for the facility to to be a static stand alone Care and Treatment Clinic site. The govt. will then be responsible for ongoing sponsorship of key staff members including doctors, lab technicians, nurse mid-wives and appropriate medications, treatments, etc.

Foxes' NGO:

Initial contribution of building and refurbishing of existing buildings, and bringing key medical equipment, supplies, and resources to the facility. Ongoing contribution of foriegn and local volunteers with medical expertise that will visit the facility as volunteers at Foxes' NGO, and will be working to give the facility a boost in quality and human capacity.

The plans are moving along nicely as is construction. This partnership is important to all parties as big investments have been made from all, and so a trustful relationship going forward for everyone will ensure the best quality service for the community of Mufindi.