Comparative quality of private and public health services in rural Vietnam

Abstract

Private providers are successfully competing with the public health centre system in rural areas but not because they provide cheaper or better services. The quality of private health care services is not controlled and is significantly poorer than public services. Current practice in both systems falls below the national standard, especially for the management of chronic health problems. The low quality of health care services at a community level may help explain the previously observed phenomena of high levels of self-medicating, low utilization of commune health centres and over-utilization of tertiary health care facilities.

Quality of reproductive health services at commune health stations in Viet Nam: implications for national reproductive health care strategy

“…13,14 By 2008, the country had 74 non-public hospitals with 5,600 beds (accounting for just over 3% of the total number of hospital beds nationally), just over 30,000 registered private clinics, and over 21,600 registered private pharmacies. 5 As part of the private sector, reproductive health services are provided by the clinics of private doctors or other practitioners such as midwives and assistant doctors.…”

Stakeholder perceptions of a total market approach to family planning in Viet Nam

“…14 After adoption of Doi Moi (reform and renovation) in 1986 -a policy of controlled economic reforms aimed to spur a transition from a fully subsidized economy to a partially subsidized, partially market economy and greater private sector growth -the government endorsed private practice in health services, Blood pressure check following tubal ligation at an NGO reproductive health care clinic, Hanoi commercial sale of pharmaceuticals, and user fees at public hospitals. 15,16 Most health care services and goods provided at public health facilities are charged to users. 17 Beginning in 2003, the government implemented the Health Care Fund for the Poor (HCFP) to provide free health care to poor populations.…”

Deficiente cobertura de aseguramiento a médicos durante el servicio rural y urbano-marginal en Perú

“…Los resultados presentados muestran que uno de cada veinte médicos que realizaron el SERUMS contaba con una adecuada cobertura del Seguro Social de Salud; considerando que en nuestro país los profesionales recién egresados conforman uno de los pilares de la APS (4,5) su salud e integridad física debe ser una prioridad de las instituciones prestadoras de salud (14)(15)(16)(17) .…”