Public Private Partnership in the Health Sector: Boon or Bane

Abstract Public Private Partnership (PPP) is collaboration between the public and private sector that enables fulfilment of certain common goals by overcoming the visible limitations. Based on studies and sample surveys conducted, the Government has the pivot role of framing health policies and programmes specific to the requirement of each country. However, over the years the health sector has witnessed a demand supply mismatch attributed to a couple of factors. The private sector has served as a catalyst to deliver these services to the people by ways of greater efficiency, better management skills and focused strategies and stronger resource base whether in terms of monetary resources or human resources. This paper aims to give an overview of the evolution of the Public Private Partnership. At the Global Level, it discusses the examples of popular Public Private Partnerships especially in Asian and African states and evaluates its success. Coming down to the National Level, it gives a summary of the existing PPP models in India and further takes up a detailed study of the Chiranjeevi Yojana Scheme in Gujarat. The positives and negatives of the scheme are highlighted. Finally the challenges of PPP in the health sector are assessed putting forth some meaningful suggestions.