Background
National Public Health Management Centre (NPMC), as a national training and research centre, was established in 2000 using the supports from World Health Organization, World Bank and Iranian Ministry of Health. NPMC is located in the city of Tabriz. The city is one of the three major cities in the country. The location of Tabriz in the northwest of Iran has given a unique opportunity for NPMC and neighboring countries for close contacts and easy access. Those countries include Republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nakhchivan, Iraq and Turkey. The city of Tabriz, as a major city in the country, offering services including reference hospitals, specialized diagnostic facilities and education/research programmes (in the six Universities located in the city) for a large population. Tabriz International Airport, train and bus services facilitate travels for both domestic and international destinations. The city is a multi-cultural place where it is common to speak in different languages in the area as the native tongue including Farsi, Azari, Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian. English language is easily spoken for academic purposes.
Training and Services
The main activities of NPMC include training, research and consultancy services. Training programmes of NPMC are performed both in national and provincial levels. More than 300 national training courses and provincial programmes have taken place for health system workers over the last two years only. NPMC is also a unique centre for in-service health training courses in the area. As part of NPMC's national role in the routine training programmes of the Ministry of Health, we have conducted 23 courses and workshops for the ministerial administrative and managerial staff over the last year. The main area of the training courses and programmes include:
• Health economy
• Health management
• Health assessment
• Health statistics
• Leadership and supervision in health programmes
• Health system Information system
• Change management
• Productivity in health management
• Health system management for health development
• Management information system
• Leadership in health management crisis
• Systemic thinking
Beginning from 2008, NPMC has been requested to supply/provide educational and training packages in the following areas:
• Health sector reform
• Health planning,
• Monitoring and evaluation,
• Competency based human resource management,
• Strategic planning,
• Clinical governance and health financing
So far, the packages have been supplied/provided for the universities of Shiraz, Urmia, Kerman, Ahvaz and the Ministry of Health.
NPMC has been having close cooperation with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences for the training programmes for international students from neighboring countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. NPMC is also now a unique centre offering PhD degree and certificated courses in its field of activities accepting students both from national and international levels.
For educational purposes, some memorandums of understanding have been agreed/signed between NPMC and other organizations at international, national and regional levels including:
• Nuffield Institute (UK)
• University of Massachusetts (USA)
• Karolinska Institute (Sweden) University of Bradford (UK)
• University of Queensland (Australia)
• Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Iran)
• Kerman University of Medical Sciences (Iran)
• Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (Iran)
• Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (Iran)
• Iranian Evidence Based Medicine center (Iran)
• Logistic Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
• Province Health Center
• Treatment Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
• Tabriz Municipality
• East Azerbaijan Governance Organization
• Private Hospitals
• Research Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
• Education and Development Centre (EDC)
Facilities available at NPMC
• A complex with both training and accommodation facilities at the same place.
• 32 full time academic staff
• 50 part time academic staff
• 16 administrative staff
• Health management research committee
• Three main conference halls (equipped with multimedia facilities)
• Six workshop rooms (equipped with multimedia facilities)
• Computer cluster and IT
• Library and study room
• High standard accommodations
• Restaurant
• Internet connection, wireless and E-Learning facilities
• Collaboration with:
i. Education and Development Center (http://edc-en.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
ii. School of Public Health and Nutrition (http://hnfac-en.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
iii. School of Nursing and Midwifery (http://nursing-en.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
iv. School of Pharmacy (http://pharmfac-en.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
v. Nutritional Research Center (http://nut-rc-en.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
vi. Tabriz Registry of Congenital Anomalies (http://troca.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
vii. Evidence Based Medicine Center (http://ircebm.tbzmed.ac.ir/)
Financial Matters
NPMC is a SELF-FINANCED organization. Because of this unique nature, it can financially support research proposals, and may offer short-term (up to 9 months) scholarships for individuals at both national and international levels in various areas of community health and health system management.
In summary, NPMC with its great facilities and staff has now the capability to offer the following services at three international, national and regional levels:
· Running various training courses and degree programmes like in-service courses and PhD degrees
· Planning, conducting and supervision of research projects for health system development
· Providing consultancy services for quality management and evidence based management for health systems