All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems”
Numerous investigations demonstrate that the problem of corruption in the health sector is enormous and has grave negative consequences for patients. Nevertheless, the problem of corruption in health systems is far from eminent in the international health policy debate. Hutchinson, Balabanova, and M...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2019-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3641_a958266bd3867be6255ef67f8152c5b7.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811329501025533952 |
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| author | Saskia Mostert Gertjan Kaspers |
| author_facet | Saskia Mostert Gertjan Kaspers |
| author_sort | Saskia Mostert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Numerous investigations demonstrate that the problem of corruption in the health sector is enormous and has grave negative consequences for patients. Nevertheless, the problem of corruption in health systems is far from eminent in the international health policy debate. Hutchinson, Balabanova, and McKee have identifed in their Editorial five reasons why the health policy community has been reluctant to talk about it: (1) Problem of defining corruption; (2) Some corrupt practices are actually ways of making dysfunctional systems work; (3) The serious challenges to researching corruption; (4) Concerns that focus on corruption is a form of victim blaming that ignores larger issues; and (5) Lack of evidence about what works to tackle it. In this commentary, we pay a closer and critical look at these five excuses for doing nothing. We conclude that the vast majority of the world population, being the poor in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) who disproportionately suffer from the problem of corruption in health systems, need good people with high moral and ethical principles who have the courage to disregard these five reasons. The poor need good people who understand that it is crucial to first acknowledge this problem, despite the obvious uncertainties involved, before you can change it. The poor therefore need good editors, good policy-makers, good managers, and good clinicians. We agree with the authors that we first need to talk about corruption. But above all, we need good people who are subsequently willing to walk the talk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:45:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-264150a11d1849dc9bfa4926bf6a9399 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-5939 2322-5939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:45:06Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Kerman University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-264150a11d1849dc9bfa4926bf6a93992022-12-22T02:41:01ZengKerman University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management2322-59392322-59392019-10-0181061061210.15171/ijhpm.2019.533641All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems”Saskia Mostert0Gertjan Kaspers1Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Pediatrics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsNumerous investigations demonstrate that the problem of corruption in the health sector is enormous and has grave negative consequences for patients. Nevertheless, the problem of corruption in health systems is far from eminent in the international health policy debate. Hutchinson, Balabanova, and McKee have identifed in their Editorial five reasons why the health policy community has been reluctant to talk about it: (1) Problem of defining corruption; (2) Some corrupt practices are actually ways of making dysfunctional systems work; (3) The serious challenges to researching corruption; (4) Concerns that focus on corruption is a form of victim blaming that ignores larger issues; and (5) Lack of evidence about what works to tackle it. In this commentary, we pay a closer and critical look at these five excuses for doing nothing. We conclude that the vast majority of the world population, being the poor in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) who disproportionately suffer from the problem of corruption in health systems, need good people with high moral and ethical principles who have the courage to disregard these five reasons. The poor need good people who understand that it is crucial to first acknowledge this problem, despite the obvious uncertainties involved, before you can change it. The poor therefore need good editors, good policy-makers, good managers, and good clinicians. We agree with the authors that we first need to talk about corruption. But above all, we need good people who are subsequently willing to walk the talk.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3641_a958266bd3867be6255ef67f8152c5b7.pdfcorruptionhealth sectorlow and middle-income countries |
| spellingShingle | Saskia Mostert Gertjan Kaspers All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” International Journal of Health Policy and Management corruption health sector low and middle-income countries |
| title | All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” |
| title_full | All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” |
| title_fullStr | All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” |
| title_full_unstemmed | All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” |
| title_short | All It Takes for Corruption in Health Systems to Triumph, Is Good People Who Do Nothing; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems” |
| title_sort | all it takes for corruption in health systems to triumph is good people who do nothing comment on we need to talk about corruption in health systems |
| topic | corruption health sector low and middle-income countries |
| url | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3641_a958266bd3867be6255ef67f8152c5b7.pdf |
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