Black market trade: an example from a rural hospital in Kenya

Abstract

Provision of mortuary services free of charge in a government hospital in rural Kenya is found to have led to a black market trade in these services. The principal participants in the market were the mortuary attendants and bereaved families. A method is developed for determining black market expenditures on mortuary services at a government hospital. On average, a bereaved family spent about US $2.30 on mortuary services. Burial expenses were also substantial, amounting to some US $75 per bereaved family. It is shown that free provision of mortuary services in government hospitals has a hidden cost, that could exceed the fee that users can be expected to pay openly.