Explain the steps taken by the Government of Costa Rica for the improvement of the healthcare system.
Answers
Answer:
Goto Course Page
1. Introduction
What will I learn in this lesson?
2. Key Concepts
Introduction
Health
The Indian Healthcare System
Systems of Healthcare
Inequalities in Public Healthcare
3. Quiz
Quiz
4. Did You Know?
Some reads
Classroom Activities
Finish LessonHelp
Logo inverted circle
Chapter 2 - Role of the Government in Health
Society & Politics - II
Inequalities in Public Healthcare
Although India is a democracy, not all Indians get equally good healthcare.
This is because the population of India is huge, and also because most new medical staff and facilities are in the cities, whereas most Indians live in villages.
Also, most healthcare systems in towns and cities are privately run for a profit, and are too expensive for many people; barely 20% of the population can afford all the medicines they need.
According to one study, 40% of the patients in hospitals have to borrow money or sell their possessions to pay for their medical expenses.
Solutions and Conclusion
In a democratic country like India, it is the responsibility of the government to provide proper healthcare facilities to all its citizens.
Basic medical facilities should be available to everyone, everywhere, and not just to rich people in the cities.
A country's government and people have to work together to improve the health of the nation.
The Kerala Experience
In 1996, the government of the state of Kerala gave 40% of its budget to the rural Panchayats, and the freedom to plan and provide for the needs in their villages.
This led to some positive changes as the money was used for the betterment of all the facilities in the village. For example: proper planning was done for water supply, education, working of schools, etc.
The Costa Rica Approach
Many years ago, the Costa Rican government took a very important decision of not having a national army. This meant that all the money which was used to manage the army could be used for other, more useful projects such as health, education, and meeting other basic needs of the people.
The Costa Rican government took this step because it believes that a healthy population is the most important factor in the development of any country
Different ways through which the government can take steps to provide healthcare for all: (i) Establishing public healthcare at zonal level. (ii) Setting up low cost government hospitals. (iii) Health insurance for basic treatment. (iv) Provision of clean drinking water and steps to check pollution.