Healthcare problems can be solved only with private sector participation, IDIS Viitorul

Adopting the Law on public-private partnerships isn’t enough to encourage such initiatives. The Ministry of Health has to decide which domains are the priorities for PPPs and to set some standards of quality. The recommendation is part of a study by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul”, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The central or local public administration is under pressure to solve the mmultiutude of problems of the healthcare system. Current fees, based on an improper methodology, don’t cover the expenses of providing medical institutions with the required expensive equipment, which is a burden for the budget”, said Iurie Malanciuc, IDIS Viitorul associated expert in healthcare policies. The study recommends the Ministry of Health to develop standards of monitoring and evaluation of public-private partnership projects. Authorities must focus on providing improved healthcare services from the point of view of quality and quantity, and not on the control of the way these contracts are carried out. Only such an approach will stimulate the private sector to participate in these transactions, which are so needed by the healthcare system. IDIS experts stress that a public-private partnership means sharing resources, risks and benefits. The main impediment for the development of PPPs remains the mentality. The public sector is used to buying assets rather than focusing on the service that should be provided, reads the IDIS study.