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Provision of Primary Healthcare Services in urban areas of Bangladesh :the case of urban primary healthcare project

Ahmad, Alia LU (2007) In Working Papers, Department of Economics, Lund University
Abstract
Primary healthcare in Bangladesh is supposed to be a public responsibility, and until recently the government has tried to provide basic services directly through its own bureaucracy. However, the public sector faces acute problems in meeting the growing needs of urban population, especially the poor. In recent years, new institutions such as partnerships with not-for-profit private organizations are sought to improve the access and quality of primary care. This paper focuses on one urban partnership project, UPHCP in Bangladesh. It analyzes the accountability relationships among different stakeholders involved in the project and cost effectiveness of contracting out. The paper finds that the accountability relationships in UPHCP are not... (More)
Primary healthcare in Bangladesh is supposed to be a public responsibility, and until recently the government has tried to provide basic services directly through its own bureaucracy. However, the public sector faces acute problems in meeting the growing needs of urban population, especially the poor. In recent years, new institutions such as partnerships with not-for-profit private organizations are sought to improve the access and quality of primary care. This paper focuses on one urban partnership project, UPHCP in Bangladesh. It analyzes the accountability relationships among different stakeholders involved in the project and cost effectiveness of contracting out. The paper finds that the accountability relationships in UPHCP are not transparent, and the programme is costly in terms of human resources because of multiple principals and agents involved compared to direct government provision. The beneficial impact of UPHCP on urban primary care is well-documented, but such institutional arrangement will have difficulties in expansion on a large scale without external assistance. Another weakness of the programme is the lack of a sense of ownership and trust in its continuity among the population that works against social accountability and client power. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
contracting out
in
Working Papers, Department of Economics, Lund University
issue
9
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
143e4489-426d-4b94-9d98-f6c3ccea4dc8 (old id 1385240)
alternative location
http://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2007_009.htm
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:03:17
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:02:23
@misc{143e4489-426d-4b94-9d98-f6c3ccea4dc8,
  abstract     = {{Primary healthcare in Bangladesh is supposed to be a public responsibility, and until recently the government has tried to provide basic services directly through its own bureaucracy. However, the public sector faces acute problems in meeting the growing needs of urban population, especially the poor. In recent years, new institutions such as partnerships with not-for-profit private organizations are sought to improve the access and quality of primary care. This paper focuses on one urban partnership project, UPHCP in Bangladesh. It analyzes the accountability relationships among different stakeholders involved in the project and cost effectiveness of contracting out. The paper finds that the accountability relationships in UPHCP are not transparent, and the programme is costly in terms of human resources because of multiple principals and agents involved compared to direct government provision. The beneficial impact of UPHCP on urban primary care is well-documented, but such institutional arrangement will have difficulties in expansion on a large scale without external assistance. Another weakness of the programme is the lack of a sense of ownership and trust in its continuity among the population that works against social accountability and client power.}},
  author       = {{Ahmad, Alia}},
  keywords     = {{contracting out}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Working Papers, Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  title        = {{Provision of Primary Healthcare Services in urban areas of Bangladesh :the case of urban primary healthcare project}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5683772/2061621}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}