Health Care in Sri Lanka : What Can the Private Health Sector Offer?
This review represents an attempt to bridge the significant knowledge gaps on the private health sector in Sri Lanka, and foster a dialogue on opportunities for collaboration between the government and the private sector. It accomplishes this throu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/06/20053127/health-care-sri-lanka-can-private-health-sector-offer http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20018 |
| Summary: | This review represents an attempt to
bridge the significant knowledge gaps on the private health
sector in Sri Lanka, and foster a dialogue on opportunities
for collaboration between the government and the private
sector. It accomplishes this through a systematic collection
and analysis of primary and secondary data on the provision,
financing, and regulation of health care services. On health
service delivery, the review finds that the private sector:
includes a range of providers; focuses primarily on curative
and outpatient services rather than preventive services; is
heavily dependent on the public sector for its supply of
human resources; and is concentrated in urban areas. The
quality of health care services in Sri Lanka in both the
private and public sectors, while better than in most
developing countries, still lags behind those in more
advanced countries. There is also little systematic dialogue
and collaboration between the public and private sectors. On
financing, the review finds that private health expenditure
is more than half of total health expenditure, mostly in the
form of out-of-pocket payments by households, with clear
implications for Sri Lanka's progression toward
universal health coverage. On stewardship and regulation,
there is a clear and urgent need to bridge the existing gaps
in the legal and regulatory framework, and in the
enforcement of health regulations applicable to the private
sector, as well as to create an enabling environment for
more effective private sector participation in the health
sector. The review demonstrates that the private health
sector in Sri Lanka is a growing force, due both to greater
investment from private players as well as greater demand
from the population. The review highlights areas where a
more effective engagement with the private sector could
ensure that Sri Lanka is able to offer its citizens
universal access to good quality health service while also
stimulating economic growth. |
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