The Growth and Development of General Practice Operators in Modern Healthcare Provision in Tivland, Central Nigeria

Abstract

This paper discusses the rise of private healthcare providers, collectively known as general practice operators (GPOs) or commercial providers, in modern healthcare provision in Tivland. This category of modern healthcare provision has 301 healthcare facilities, accounting for 31.987% of the total modern healthcare facilities available in Tivland. Despite the massive contribution of GPOs to the modern healthcare system, very little is known about the rise and development of this arm of healthcare providers in Tivland of central Nigeria. It fills this lacuna by asking: What is the evolution and impact of GPOs in Tivland? Primary and secondary data are used. Primary data include archival documents from the National Archive Kaduna (NAK), Nigeria, and oral interviews, including focus group discussions. Interviews were conducted with GPOs, medical and healthcare practitioners, medical and healthcare Union executives, community leaders, and women in Makurdi, Gboko, Ukum, and Katsina-Ala areas of Tivland from 2016 through 2019. They were qualitatively analyzed through a thematic approach. The rise of GPOs in Tivland was driven by the emergence of qualified indigenous medical professionals, crises in the public healthcare sector, and commercial motives. The government should provide grants and tax incentives to encourage efficiency. Also, to promote professionalism and curtail quackery in GPOS, the government should step up monitoring and supervision to ensure standardization in operation for enhanced healthcare delivery in Tivland, central Nigeria.