The effectiveness of private services in public hospitals: The case of St. Paul Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Retention of doctors had been a big challenge for Ethiopian public hospitals. Private wing service in public hospitals was established in Ethiopia in 2009 with major objectives of retaining specialist doctors and improving access to health services. Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the private wing services in St. Paul Hospital. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in January 2016. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews and documents review were conducted. A total of 37 participants were included in the study. The discussions and interviews were conducted with specialist doctors, nurses, anesthetists and members of the hospital management team. Consent was obtained from all participants before the data collection. All data were transcribed verbatim, typed and stored safely. Then content and thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Most of the participants agreed that the private wing arrangement had contributed to the motivation and retention of specialist doctors most notably the surgeons in the hospital. The number of specialist doctors in the hospital increased over the 6 years after the establishment of the private wing by 223%. Most participants mentioned that the hospital benefitted from the private wing. The number of major surgeries conducted in the regular service of the hospital increased by four folds over the six years. In the same period, a total of 8,975,967 ETB was generated to the hospital. Conclusion: The private wing in St. Paul hospital was successful as it contributed to the retention and motivation of specialist doctors and improved access to health services. Other public hospitals may consider establishing private wing services. (C) 2021 FECA. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.