Table 3.

Government role in influencing private sector participation in COVID-19.

	Ghana	Nigeria	Bangladesh	Nepal
RQ2 Role of government in the private sector response to COVID-19
2.1 Identification of private sector actors in national plans	Private sector representatives were involved by the Ministry of Health, in developing the national strategic COVID-19 response plan as well as by the Ministry of Finance in developing the economic response.	Important role for private sector laboratories was identified in the Nigeria national strategy on COVID-19 testing.	The COVID-19 plan identified the importance of private laboratories and hospitals in contributing to the overall health system response capacity.	The Nepal emergency response plan highlights the involvement of the private sector through a partnership model underpinned by memoranda of understanding (MOUs).
2.2 Public-private partnerships	COVID-19 Private Sector Fund & Ghana Health Service/Government of Ghana-partnership to increase capacity to manage COVID-19 patients whereby the private sector fund initiated construction and contributed in cash and in kind to build a 100-bed infectious disease hospital. Zipline & Ministry of Health partnership with a drone delivery service to more efficiently transport COVID-19 test samples. Health Frontiers and Ghana Airport Company partnership to provide antigen tests for arriving airline passengers.	Construction of isolation/treatment centers; provision of palliatives; through CACOVID.	Partnership between government, an NGO and a private pharmaceutical company to establish new quarantine, and treatment centers for COVID-19 patients such as a 50-bedded unit in Narayanganj; Private institute in India, Pharmaceutical company and Government of Bangladesh co-funding of the Serum institute of India to ensure priority delivery of vaccines.	Partnership between government and private sector laboratories to deliver COVID-19 testing services.
2.3 Contracting	Government of Ghana & Garment companies; contracted with selected local garment companies to produce PPE for health workers; Government of Ghana and hotels contracted with hotels to offer quarantine and isolation services for returning travelers.		Contracting of hotels to provide accommodation for staff providing COVID-19 services.	Government of Nepal & Private hospitals signed MOUs to provide treatment services at an agreed rate; Department of tourism & hotels contracting with the hospitality industry to obtain room space in hotels to supplement their own quarantine and isolation capacity; Government of Nepal & Private company agreements with a private company to procure PPE for health workers.
2.4 Regulation	Minimum standards developed by the FDA for the production of PPE; guidelines for laboratory testing developed by Ghana Health Service and enforced by the Health Facility Regulatory Agency; Safety guidelines for the re-opening of private schools; Regulation of the activities of traders to comply with government directives on preventative protocols and market decongestion, and in some cases, market closures and testing of traders.	CACOVID supported health services, including laboratories and isolation and treatment centers, required accreditation before they were permitted to deliver COVID-19 services.	Price controls introduced for masks and hand sanitisers and businesses fined for non-compliance; Government threatened to revoke licenses of private hospitals if they refused to deliver medical care	The Government of Nepal introduced a directive requiring health facilities to resume treating patients following a 3 month period during which private facilities severely curtailed access to services for anyone that was suffering or suspected to suffer from COVID-19; Price controls used to regulate fees charged in hospitals and laboratories- Health Ministry threatened action against facilities charging excess fees; confiscation of illegal masks and hand sanitizers from market and fines.