How Partnerships Can Drive Health Equity? Answered by Mr. Jayesh Saini

Widely, healthcare equity is always an issue for discussion amongst the healthcare providers. It is defined as the absence of systematic disparities in health between social groups who have different levels of underlying social advantage/disadvantage that is, different positions in a social hierarchy. Depending on the social class of an individual, they are put at a risk of not receiving the optimal health services being provided, bringing out the issue of vulnerability.

 

In rare cases will the facilities offering top quality services be the ones that also ensure equity, mostly it’s the vice versa. And since this is a problem that is cutting across most countries, it has necessitated changes and strategic plans to address factors that are hindering equity in healthcare. A range of approaches have and are still being negotiated and implemented in order to address the issue. Amongst them is creation of a favorable environment that will help foster equity-driven partnerships amongst all the key players in healthcare.

 

Mr. Jayesh Saini a private healthcare investor in Africa, states that, given the existing strengths and weaknesses in the industry, neither the public sector nor private sector alone is able to deliver optimal healthcare services to the citizens. He believes that building partnerships that are healthy and properly guided will lead to equity in healthcare delivery and in turn will lead to the achievement of UHC in the country. When the government joins hands with the private healthcare providers and other key players in the industry, they are likely to work out better mechanisms based on the information tabled by all the parties.

 

Some populations are put at a disadvantage due to their geographical locations that make it hard for them to be reached for or reach medical services provision which is their right. Dispensaries in the marginalized areas for example, may not be able to be fully equipped with the relevant equipment and medication for even first aid let alone touching on serious cases or emergencies. This has challenged the equity aspect that is constantly being pushed into a reality aspect.

 

One of mitigation factors can be for the government to allocate an agreed amount of money of a supplementary fund in the budget that will go to the private healthcare providers to enable them cater for emergency cases such as road and fire accidents. The funds can also be used to cater for a universal health plan for all citizens as agreed in the partnership discussions by the policy makers. When partnerships are there, first aid or even other serious cases can be treated even at private facilities. Bearing in mind the chances of misuse of this policy and supplementary cash, a guideline should also be provided to govern the same and prevent misuse of the partnership as well as protect interests of both parties.

 

Mr Saini opines that the Corporate Social Responsibility that is a functionality aspect for most private health providers will improve greatly through these partnerships. He urges the private healthcare providers to go beyond just writing policies showing they support equity in their hospital set ups but instead ensure that it’s a functional part by implementing the same. He believes that the spirit and the letter of these polices should go hand in hand for its effects to be felt.

 

From this discussion, it shows that effectiveness of policies touching on equity will only be evident in outcomes of service provision through structures that are built on equity of services for all irrespective of their economic or social statuses. An example is the offering of first aid in emergency cases without necessarily asking for payment from the casualties. Good Samaritans have found themselves in very slippery grounds when they have dashed people to health facilities and they are told they must provide some deposit before any care can be provided to people who are strangers. This unfortunate scenario has led to some casualties succumbing to their injuries while at the same time individuals shy away from helping in ferrying people for emergencies. Some facilities have also been left with unidentified individuals and or big bills in cases where they opted to intervene to save lives. Mr Saini, speaking on this issue, he said that these are the items that must be clearly spelt out in policies and agreements between government and private facilities to ensure there is no abuse by any of the parties concerned. He noted the potential for citizens to pause as good Samaritans helping strangers while they are known and related to the casualties just to avoid paying bills for their kindred and facilities can also fraudulently claim compensation even when patients have paid privately.

 

With World Health Organization (WHO) commitment to building a fairer and healthier world by taking health equity much more seriously than before so as to meet head-on the social and economic factors that hinders its achievement, undoubtedly these collaborations will speed up the process and also help in advancing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Such collaborative partnerships have proved to work in solving other health and non-health issues in the country and the health equity is no exemption.