Private healthcare entrepreneurship in a free-access public health system: what was the impact of COVID-19 public policies in Greece?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether private healthcare entrepreneurship can flourish and overcome obstacles in cases of a free-access public health system and periods of strict public policies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the paper aims to illuminate the wider social role of private healthcare entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a qualitative methodological strategy through 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the owners of diagnostic centres located in small Greek towns.

Findings

Private healthcare entrepreneurship flourished and played a significantly positive social role in the context of a degraded public health sector, which lacked investments for more than ten years and was further depleted by its recent focus on COVID-19 incidents. This paper reveals that although public policies that aimed to deal with COVID-19 produced serious consequences, business activity adapted to the new circumstances.

Research limitations/implications

Future research can combine the findings of this paper with the views of stakeholders, policymakers and social actors.

Originality/value

This paper's value lies in its efforts to expand our current knowledge regarding the impact of COVID-19 public policies on entrepreneurship.

Citation

Apostolopoulos, N., Liargovas, P., Sklias, P., Makris, I. and Apostolopoulos, S. (2022), "Private healthcare entrepreneurship in a free-access public health system: what was the impact of COVID-19 public policies in Greece?", Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 23-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-03-2021-0029