ToT programme to enhance hospital management and care across Syria.
Photo credit: @WHO Syria-Bashar Sattari31 October 2024, – On 23 October 2024 the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Syria’s Ministry of Health, announced a comprehensive training of trainers (ToT) programme to enhance hospital management and care across Syria. The programme, which runs until mid-November at the Centre for Strategic Studies and Health Training in Damascus, will train 70 health professionals as national trainers.
Supported by Austria, the training will equip participants with leadership and management skills tailored to Syria’s healthcare needs. The initiative includes 7 modules covering: governance, leadership, and strategic thinking; human resource management; hospital financial management; quality improvement and patient safety; hospital supplies and supportive services; hospital emergency and disaster management and hospital information management.
The modules, incorporating global best practices, will be delivered by expert facilitators from WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and commissioned international consultants from the Arab world. This initiative has already been implemented in 6 countries in the Region.
Acting WHO Representative to Syria Ms Christina Bethke underlined the importance of the initiative: “This programme marks a significant step in empowering Syria’s health care leadership. By building the capacity of national trainers, we aim to ensure that hospital teams across the country are equipped with the needed tools and leadership skills to play a critical role in responding to and minimizing the impact of public health emergencies and humanitarian crises. By investing in the health workforce, we can support the early recovery of Syria’s health system.”
Dr Hamid Ravaghi, regional advisor at the Universal Health Services department in EMRO, stated: "The ToT program will play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable model for continuous training and professional development, empowering hospital managers to lead with strategic vision, ultimately improving healthcare services and enhancing responsiveness to the sector's evolving needs."
In addition to international experts, national facilitators will also participate, helping to ensure that local expertise is developed. The program will establish a network of trainers to roll out a capacity-building program in hospital management to benefit all public hospitals in Syria by the end of 2025.
