Stakeholder perspectives on public-private partnership in health service delivery in Sindh province of Pakistan: a qualitative study

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the perspectives of stakeholders on public-private partnership (PPP) in healthcare service delivery in Sindh province of Pakistan including the reasons for adopting such policies and the barriers for its implementation. Study design: This was a qualitative primary study. Methods: Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 stakeholders, including officials from provincial government and district administration (legislators, district managers, deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners) and representatives from private sector organisations with direct or indirect role in implementation of PPP policy, selected using purposive sampling methods. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Results: Participants had very limited in-depth understanding about the concept of PPP. They considered multifaceted corruption in the health system and the success of existing PPP initiatives as the main reasons for the PPP policy adoption. Resistance from healthcare staff was perceived as the main barrier for implementation of PPP. There was a common perception that better monitoring capacity in the private sector management can be a cause of concern for public sector employees who may have become used to less efficient working. A common theme found in the narratives was the possible apprehensions from healthcare staff about the loss of their jobs. Conclusion: Our findings indicated lack of effective engagement with key stakeholders and the resistance from healthcare staff as the key barriers for PPP implementation in Sindh, Pakistan. These findings provide useful insights for the successful implementation of such initiatives in Pakistan as well as in other similar settings.