PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AS ANTI- CORRUPTION TOOL IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines public-private partnerships as a potentially effective tool for combating corruption in the healthcare system of Ukraine. It is determined that the healthcare sector is traditionally considered one of the most vulnerable to corruption, in particular due to the large volumes of public finances, the complexity of procurement procedures, unequal access to medical services and the low level of accountability in the management of public property and resources. In this context, public-private partnerships are considered not only as a means of attracting investment or modernizing infrastructure, but also as a mechanism capable of introducing new standards of transparency, responsibility and efficiency of management decisions in the public sector. The authors analyze the key characteristics of PPPs that ensure its anti-corruption potential: the contractual nature of relations, the long- term nature of obligations, the participation of independent audits, open competitions, mandatory reporting, as well as the introduction of digital technologies for monitoring project implementation. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the risks that accompany the implementation of PPP in the medical sector: a formal approach to assessing corruption risks, the absence of standard contracts with safeguards, low professional capacity of civil servants and lack of public control. The article emphasizes the need to create a single methodology for assessing the integrity of partnership projects, increasing the openness of contract conclusion procedures and regular reporting on the results achieved.The study emphasizes that the effective use of PPP in the fight against corruption is possible only under the conditions of creating a holistic institutional model that includes regulatory support, professional training of personnel, mechanisms for preventing conflicts of interest, a transparent system of public control and the presence of political will. The significance of PPP in the context of the post-war restoration of the health care system, when the state objectively does not have sufficient resources to ensure the proper level of medical services, and the need for an honest partnership becomes strategic, is separately considered. The author argues that it is in such conditions that it is necessary to build in anti-corruption safeguards at the stage of forming partnership initiatives, as well as to provide independent public and expert support for their implementation.The conclusion is made that public-private partnership can not only reduce the level of abuse in the healthcare sector, but also contribute to the formation of a qualitatively new model of public administration, based on trust, openness, efficiency and joint responsibility of the parties. The main directions for improving state policy in this area are proposed, including: the development of standard PPP contracts, the introduction of electronic reporting platforms, the standardization of risk assessment procedures and the creation of an institutionally independent body to monitor the implementation of partnership projects in the healthcare sector.