Trickle-down health care
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Photo credit: ILO/Thierry Falise/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Do investments in private hospitals and clinics catering to the wealthy strengthen primary health care systems in poor countries?
At a recent roundtable discussion in New York City, a representative of a private equity group presented plans to build private hospitals in emerging markets, such as Kenya, as one of the best ways to strengthen primary health care delivery. For most of us who have worked on strengthening health systems, investing in hospitals that cater to the well-off doesn’t sound like the best way to meet the health needs of the poor.