Corruption Type
September 19, 2016
Private use of public products, equipment, facilities or time
By providing treatment and services to patients in their private clinics, healthcare providers are able to receive a supplementary income to the one they receive in the public sector. This phenomenon is linked to the corruption type absenteeism in the financial and workforce management category, with healthcare providers providing private services when they should be providing public services.
As well as using facilities and supplies from the public sector, using publicly paid for time to provide private care wastes finite health funds and places additional strain on public health systems. In some countries this is a systemic issue, with most doctors in the health system providing private practices at the same time as receiving payments to work in public health facilities.
Like other corruption types, such as informal payments from patients and absenteeism, this corruption type can be linked to low salaries, poor working conditions and inappropriate selection for employment opportunities. However, it is also seen in high-income countries where healthcare providers are simply abusing their positions of power for their own private gain.