Transparency in public-private relations for the provision of health services in the state of São Paulo

Abstract

Objectives: to verify whether the instruments and mechanisms for inclusion and transparency available to citizens in the state of São Paulo allow for the exercise of sanitary democracy and social control of the goals and results of the contractualization of the provision of health services. Methods: documentary research, conducted in official information systems, on the contracting of public and/or private entities for the provision of public health services by the state of São Paulo/ and documentary research on Transparency and financial Portals, at the state level, for measurement of goals and results of these contracts. Results: private initiatives that complement the role of the State act under a clear financial dependence on the government sphere. There is a significant deficit of information for the construction or standardization of performance data, making it impossible to monitor public health policies and to measure the cost/effectiveness of health services provided directly by the Public Administration and by private sector. Conclusion: the data found in the research did not show a greater efficiency of these new forms of coalitions and alliances with civil society, even though the Government is not able to directly absorb all the assistance currently provided through private entities and the third sector. The lack of governmental accountability instruments causes a lack of transparency in the control of contractual targets and results.