EXPERIENCES IN PAYING FOR HEALTH-CARE IN INDIA VOLUNTARY SECTOR

This article summarizes the results of four in-depth case studies on t he financing and costs of the health care programmes of well-known non -government organizations (NGOs) in India. These organizations have sh own a high degree of creativity and innovation in developing varied so urces of financing to reduce dependency and enable them to sustain the ir programmes. Government funds play a major role in supporting these voluntary health activities, with less significant roles played by for eign donations, user charges, pre-paid memberships, and public fund ra ising. Some effective methods of assuring access for poor clients whil e developing self-financing are described. Cost studies of the NGOs' h ealth schemes indicate that they operate at least as efficiently as pu blic services and primarily supplement rather than substitute for such services. Suggestions for further development of voluntary sector fin ancing are put forward.