A comparative assessment of performance and productivity of health centres in Seychelles
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management
ISSN: 1741-0401
Article publication date: 1 January 2008
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure the technical and scale efficiency of health centres; to evaluate changes in productivity; and to highlight possible policy implications of the results for policy makers.
Design/methodology/approach
Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is employed to assess the technical and scale efficiency, and productivity change over a four‐year period among 17 public health centres.
Findings
During the period of study, the results suggest that the public health centres in Seychelles have exhibited mean overall or technical efficiency of above 93 per cent. It was also found that the overall productivity increased by 2.4 per cent over 2001‐2004.
Research limitations/implications
Further research can be undertaken to gather data on the prices of the various inputs to facilitate an estimation of the allocative efficiency of clinics. If such an exercise were to be undertaken, researchers may also consider collecting data on quantities and prices of paramedical, administrative and support staff to ensure that the analysis is more comprehensive than the study reported in this paper. Institutionalization of efficiency monitoring would help to enhance further the already good health sector stewardship and governance.
Originality/value
This paper provides new empirical evidence on a four‐year trend in the efficiency and productivity of health centres in Seychelles.
Keywords
Citation
Kirigia, J.M., Emrouznejad, A., Gama Vaz, R., Bastiene, H. and Padayachy, J. (2008), "A comparative assessment of performance and productivity of health centres in Seychelles", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 57 No. 1, pp. 72-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410400810841245
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited