IMPROVING HEALTHCARE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING WAITING TIMES IN HOSPITALS THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

This policy paper suggests a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), because it is an excellent model to resolve the serious situation of healthcare in Lahore, as in the case; there is infinite overcrowding of people in the state hospitals, and there is unnecessary underutilization of the trust-based health care enterprises. As the occupancy rates of public hospitals tend to be beyond 120 percent, and the rate of occupancy of trust hospitals is below 75 percent there is a case put forward in which the paper proposes an integrative model which will redistribute patient loads, make the service more efficiently run and avail equitable access to healthcare services. Levering the worldwide experience of PPP success of Kenya, Lesotho, and Sri Lanka, the paper presents a plan of three steps implementation, including stakeholder engagement, pilot testing, and scale-up, which would be backed by digital integration and in-time monitoring systems. Some of the critical themes observed during stakeholder interviews entail operational viability, financial incentives, coordination between the public and privately funded, quality assurance, and regulatory assistance. The model aims at optimizing the available healthcare infrastructure, improving the turnaround time, and encouraging inclusive, sustainable service to the marginalized communities. Provided that this initiative is done well, it can be seen as a prototype of the other high-density cities in the Global South.