'Direct health care by govt best option'-Oct 23, 2010,

'Direct health care by govt best option'

Rema Nagarajan, TNN, Oct 23, 2010, 02.22am IST

NEW DELHI: At a time when public-private partnership is the buzz word for any development project in the country, the organisation that started the ball rolling by first promoting privatisation and then the PPP model, the World Bank, seems to have had a rethink on the issue when it comes to public health, especially in the rural areas. The bank appears to be advocating direct provision of health care by the government as the best option for India.

In a recent issue of the publication, The World Bank in India, the Banks health economist Rajeev Ahuja wrote in an article on reform in rural health care that public-private partnerships to deliver rural health services have only been successful where special conditions have prevailed such as strong commitment and leadership on the part of both the public and private partners. It added: But since these conditions are difficult to replicate across the vast expanse of the country, this doesn't look like a viable option, certainly not for the foreseeable future.

The article pointed out that though most people agreed that governments are responsible for providing their citizens with healthcare, they did not agree on whether governments should just finance health care, while leaving its provision to the private sector, or whether they should provide that care as well.


Read more: 'Direct health care by govt best option' - The Times of India