Public-Private partnership in oral Health-Is it a requirement or a need ?

Good oral health is not only essential for good overall health and freedom from the pain and suffering associated with oral health problems, but also influences self-esteem, quality of life, and performance at school and at work.

Health care delivery is primarily the responsibility of state and national governments, but sinking funds, heavy work burden, lack of equipments, and high absenteeism crop up as roadblocks impinging the government's efforts. In India, the private sector is perceived to be easily accessible, better managed, and more efficient. To overcome these hurdles is the need of the hour.

Public-Private Partnership or PPP is a mode of implementing government programmes/schemes in partnership with the private sector. This private sectors includes corporate and voluntary organizations, individuals and community based organizations, self-help groups (SHG), partnership firms and industries.

PPP involves a long-term relationship between the public sector and the private sector. While the collaboration between the two, may take various forms like buyerseller relationship, donor-recipient relationship, the most stable partnership is in the form of ‘contract’ binding on both the parties.

Performance measurement can be monitored with respect to measuring the ‘efficiency’ or measuring ‘effectiveness’ of the relationship.

Least knowledge of oral diseases and its treatment and giving least importance to oral health, may be one of the reasons why people tends to neglect dental health. If introduced, PPP can play a magnanimous catalytic role in achieving excellence in oral health. Maintaining and expanding public-private collaboration is really essential to achieve optimal oral health in India.