The role of the private sector
A new face for private providers in developing countries: what implications for public health?
Encouraging private healthcare providers to compete for government funding could increase access for the poor
Authors:
N. Palmer; A. Mills; H. Wadee; L. Gilson; H. Schneider
Publisher:
Bulletin of the World Health Organization : the International Journal of Public Health, 2003
The use of private health care providers in low- and middle-income countries is widespread and is the subject of considerable debate. This article, produced by the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, reviews a new model of private primary care provision emerging in South Africa, in which commercial companies provide standardised primary care services at relatively low cost. The structure and operation of one such company is described, and features of service delivery are compared with the most probable alternatives: a private general practitioner or a public sector clinic.
In addition, implications for public health policy of the emergence of this new model of private provider are discussed. It is argued that encouraging the use of such clinics by those who can afford to pay for them might not help to improve care available for the poorest population groups, which are an important priority for the government. It is concluded that encouraging such providers to compete for government funding could, however, be desirable if the range of services presently offered, and those able to access them, could be broadened. [adapted from authors]
