Corruption – Taking a Deeper Dive; Comment on “We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems”

This commentary while agreeing broadly with the points raised by the editorial by McKee et al, seeks to broaden and deepen those arguments. The commentary contends that unless we understand corruption as deeply embedded in and propping up systems of power differentials, we will not be able to design interventions that will tackle corruption at its roots. The commentary further points to the context specific nature of corruption and hence the futility of attempting a single definition. This it contends will merely hide the deeper context specific causes. It calls for the using theoretical insights that draw from post-positivist approaches to enhance the conceptualization of corruption as systemic. Further it points to the importance of the underlying problematization of corruption in attempts to tackle it. It ends with a call for attempts at multiple levels with the broader aim of evolving caring and just systems of healthcare rather than focusing on narrow ‘politically feasible’ interventions.