PSI Health Blog

HSTF 2009 meeting documents now available

The Health Services Task Force will be meeting in Geneva on 28-29 May, 2009.

The documents in ENGLISH are available here:

http://healthblog.world-psi.org/hstf-2009-meeting-documents.html

During this year's meeting, we will be reviewing the implementation of the strategic plan discussed in the 2008 meeting. To access the documents from that discussion, see below:

2008 HEALTH SERVICES TASK FORCE MEETING

To review the materials from last year's meeting, go to:

2008 meeting of the HSTF

To review the tasks we set out for ourselves see:

The tasks ahead for the HSTF

To review some of the network meetings that have taken place, clik in the link below, and then scroll down:

Network meetings

Quality health services and protection of health workers in the Americas

PSI Interamericas health network meets to organize implementation of PSI’s strategic plan

From the 13^th to the 15^th of August, 2008, leaders of health workers unions from the American continent engaged in three days of discussion and planning.

Departing from their national perspectives and sharing elements of a regional and global vision, they developed a common perspective about the global challenges they face and the best strategies to confront them. 

The 81 unionists from 16 countries -from Canada and the United States to Argentina and Chile, including the Caribbean, Central and South America-, forged a consensus on how to develop programs to:

1. Protect health workers from occupationa hazards like hepatitis B, AIDS, needlestick injuries and workplace violence.
   
2. Join forces to advance in their efforts to achieve quality health services in their very diverse countries
3. Address the challenge posed by increasing flows of migration of health workers.
4. Advance towards achieving the principles of decent work and protecting trade union rights

During the meeting in Sao Paolo, Brazil, they were joined by representatives of the Spanish UGT and TEHY, the Finnish nurses organization, both of which are PSI affiliates.  The UGT has programs of collaboration on health workers migration with several Latin American unions. TEHY provided critical support for the meeting.

 Participants recognized the importance of forming alliances with organizations of patients and their families, with other unions and with political non-governmental organizations. In addition to presentations by participants, they heard guest presentations from the Alianza Social Continental and the Central Sindical Americana. 

A plan of action was  developed. Groups of affiliates interested in participating in the various programs were identified and coordinators were elected.

In order to implement the plan, it was decided to strengthen sub-regional networks and to improve their means of communications, including bulletins, websites and other electronic media. 

It was a very intense and fruitful three days of work. The diversity of national realities and language differences were overcome by an identity of purpose and the commonalities in workplace experience. 

The main resolutions, as well as power point presentations and some of the documents discussed can be found here:

Summary and resolutions

http://healthblog.world-psi.org/psi-interamericas-health-.html

Power point presentations

http://healthblog.world-psi.org/presentations-at-the-psi-.html

PSI Oceania Health network develops strategic plan

Guest blog by Glenn Barclay

Policy Advisor, NZ Public Service Association

  The PSI Oceania Health Network had its third meeting in Wellington New Zealand on 29/30 September, with delegates from Fiji, Papua-New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

 

The meeting started with a video conference link to PSI Health and Municipal Services Officer Jorge Mancillas. Jorge was in Ferney-Voltaire in France, at 10.30pm on a Sunday night so he could talk to the delegates at 9.30am Monday morning New Zealand time. His commitment (and that of Rajendre Khargi who provided technical support) was appreciated by all those present. Jorge talked about the PSI Strategy for the Health Sector and the analysis behind it, which had delegates nodding in agreement. A useful discussion followed.

 

The meeting also heard other presentations, from Gregory Rofeta on service delivery in the Solomon Islands, Kathy Brightwell from the New Zealand Ministry of Health on health worker migration in the Pacific and Alex Twigg on a recently signed Health Sector Relationship Agreement between the government of New Zealand, the Ministry of Health, the District Health Boards (employers) and the health unions.

 

The main output from the two days was a strategic plan in which the delegates committed themselves to pursuing health and safety issues in their countries, promoting recruitment of new members (union density is low in many cases) and making contact with the newly established Pacific Human Resources for Health Alliance.

 

All in all it was a useful meeting.

You can find the presentation by Jorge Mancillas here:

Download oceania_psi_health_strategy.ppt

and the Strategic plan here:

Download oceania_strategic_plan_08.doc

Encuentro interamericano de sindicatos del sector salud

“Has hecho volar banderas en mi corazón,” dijo la compañera Carolina de Chile en respuesta a la presentación del compañero Colombiano Manoel Rozental durante el segundo día del encuentro interamericano de sindicatos del sector salud de la ISP.

 

Indudablemente que el primer efecto del intercambio de experiencias, información, ideas y propuestas por parte de dirigentes sindicales de todo el continente es emocional e inspirador.

 

El escapar la ardua realidad cotidiana para reunirse con 81 compañeros y compañeras de 16 países de todo el continente, desde Canadá y Estados Unidos a Argentina y Chile, pasando por el Caribe, Centro América y todo Sudamérica, y el descubrir los lugares comunes, la identidad de convicciones y objetivos, es refrescante y tiene un efecto inspirador y alimenta las sinergias.

 

Mas el resultado mas importante ha sido la identificación de los retos comunes y de tareas conjuntas. Las deliberaciones realizadas durante tres días, del 13 al 15 de Agosto, en Sao Paolo, Brazil, han dado como fruto la creación de consensos entre los participantes.

 

Partiendo de perspectivas nacionales y de elementos de una visión continental y global se fue creando una perspectiva común acerca de la realidad global que enfrentamos.

 

Se debatieron propuestas de ejes fundamentales para la acción conjunta, incluyendo programas de actividades para proteger al personal de salud de los riesgos a su salud y seguridad en los centros de trabajo, para luchar por los servicios de salud de calidad y para hacer realidad los principios del trabajo decente. Se discutió también como extender y profundizar el trabajo para resolver problemas comunes, como el impacto de la migración del personal de salud y la defensa de los derechos sindicales.

 

Los participantes reconocieron la importancia de formar alianzas con los usuarios de los servicios de salud, con otros sindicatos y con federaciones como la CSA, con organizaciones sociales como la Alianza Social Continental y, con organizaciones no gubernamentales y políticas.

 

Se decidió fortalecer las redes sub-regionales y los medios de comunicación como los boletines regionales y sub-regionales, las paginas de red y otros medios electrónicos y se eligieron coordinadores para dichas tareas.

El encuentro recibió el apoyo de TEHY, la organización de enfermeras de Finlandia y dos de sus dirigentes participaron en las deliberaciones, asi como dos representantes de la UGT de Espana, con quienes existen programas conjuntos sobre el tema de migración del personal de salud.

 

Fué un programa de trabajo apretado pero fructífero. La diversidad de realidades nacionales y de idioma fue sobrepuesta por la identidad de aspiraciones. Ondeo una sola bandera en el corazón de los participantes: la bandera de la defensa de los intereses del personal de salud y de los intereses de la población del continente, de cuya salud y bienestar cada uno de ellos decidieron responsabilizarse cuando se incorporaron a las instituciones publicas de salud.

Implementing PSI's Strategic Plan for the health sector

Preparations under way for health network meetings

During three intense days of discussions, members of PSI’s Health Services Task Force, who represent health workers unions in 24 sub-regions, generated a large number of proposals for our strategic plan for the health sector and a list of tasks necessary for its implementation.

As promised, we have compiled those proposals and the tasks identified, globally and by region, in a single document, which can be accessed through this link:

Download psi_strategy_for_health_sector.doc

Since the meeting, we have been busy organizing the implementation of our 5 year plan:

1) Two weeks after the Health Services Task Force meeting, the strategic plan was presented to PSI staff from headquarters and all regional and sub-regional offices. This took place on 27 May, during the staff Annual Coordination meeting. A rich discussion ensued about how to best implement the plan.

2) We have met with some of our colleagues at the WHO, ILO and other organizations, to plan the implementation of some of the joint programs which will contribute to our strategic plan, like the hepatitis B immunization and the safe injection campaigns.

3) We have been gathering materials and making preparations for our regional network meetings.

Network meetings will take place as follows:

13-15 August       Interamericas health network meeting –

                        Sao Paolo

14-15 September  W. Africa health network meeting –

                        Accra, Ghana

1-3 October        Oceania network meeting -

                        tba

3 – 5 November   Southern cone health network meeting -

                        Paraguay

2- 5 December    African regional network meeting -

                        Tunisia

A Strategic Plan for the Health Sector

Health Services Task Force meets in Geneva on 12-14 May, 2008

When one works with 231 unions representing health workers in all corners of the world, it is easy to lose sight of our commonalities.

The health workers unions affiliated to PSI operate in countries that are separated by more than vast distances. Our members speak different languages and work and live under different economic, social and political conditions.

In spite of those differences, there is much that unites us. Spending three days engaged in a thoughtful exchange of  perspectives, experiences and proposals with the members of the PSI health services task force, was a powerful reminder of how much we have in common. The members of the task force represent health workers unions in all of the 24 sub-regions of PSI and it is chaired by Karen Jennings, UNISON's Head of Health.

Listening to the discussions, I found it striking to hear how similar are the challenges we are all facing. The variations are more quantitative in nature, rather than qualitative. Specific conditions may be different, but we are all trying to achieve similar goals and we face similar obstacles.

Our members spend their days at workplaces which are organized similarly to achieve the common purpose of saving lives, healing the sick, alleviating suffering and helping our fellow human beings achieve the best possible standard of health.

Our unions share a common goal of protecting health workers and promoting the terms of employment and working conditions that best allow them to fulfill their mission.

We are also engaged in promoting well equipped and better designed health systems, so that health workers have the tools necessary to adequately care for their patients.

One way or another, this commonality of purpose was evident in the discussions we engaged in for three days in Geneva. It may be one reason why the participants remained engaged and active in the deliberations in spite of a packed three day agenda, and after having travelled over long distances and across time zones.

I was impressed with the incredibly high intellectual and human caliber of the union leaders assembled at the meeting.

Beyond the specific proposals advanced and discussed in order to identify the elements for a strategic plan, I left the meeting inspired by the evident commitment and insight of the members of the task force.

Having travelled to some of the sub-regions, I know that we have many such competent leaders all around the world. The task force members and PSI's sub-regional staff, will facilitate their assembling over the next few months at sub-regional and regional meetings, to put some flesh on the outline of a strategic plan that was developed at the task force meeting (click link to see: "The Tasks ahead for the HSTF" )

WHAT IS AT STAKE

The challenge we face is the concerted promotion of policies aimed at commercializing health care.  Their aim is to shift health care provision from public health systems into the hands of fragmented for-profit privately-owned facilities. They would eliminate the concept of health as a human right and turn it into a service for sale.

While we face great challenges, this is also a time of opportunity. Our global federation of public employee unions (20 million strong, 7 million in the health sector), is in a strong position to defend health systems from efforts to weaken or dismantle them.

PSI is determined to confront those efforts and successfully defend the gains we made during the last century. Whether under the slogan of our colleagues in Korea "lives before money" or that of some of our colleagues in the United States "people before profits,"  our unions are engaged in a struggle that will determine what kind of society we, our children and future generations will live in.

More than ever, after spending three days with the kind of leaders assembled at the HSTF, I remain convinced we will succeed in our efforts.

**************************************************************

The meeting presentations can be found here:

HSTF 2008 presentations

The meeting documents are available in this page:

HSTF meeting documents

For what is next, see also:

"The Tasks ahead for the HSTF" )