MR. HAGU MARKTUS.
UU114 ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES...!!
ID# S11062272.
TUTOR: PREMILA.
T/GROUP: #9
DUE DATE: 8TH April 11, 2011
Abstract.
Abstract.
This essay presents both the advantages and disadvantages of government providing free health to the citizens. Firstly, it begins with the significant advantages, which illustrate the benefits gain by most unfortunate people who cannot afford private health services. This essay further provides details on why it is affordable compared to private own hospitals. Additionally, it also point out why free health care establishes diplomatic relation between countries. Furthermore, it discusses the equality services provided for both urban and rural areas. On the hand, it presents the disadvantages of it. Giving details on why free health care is not totally free, followed by feature like completion in health services are no longer exist, leading to break down of private hospitals. This essay also provides details that free health care is somehow increase taxations for people. It also shows that it create contradictions to other democratic elements in the country. This essay concludes with the fact that even though free health care causes excitement to the people yet it is still having limitation to this system. It also give a suggestion that this system of free health care provided by the government should be closely examined in order to be balanced other ministry bodies in the country.
Title: Advantages and disadvantages of government providing free health to its Citizens.
For years, American politicians and layperson alike have been debating the issue concerning national health care. It is important to appreciate that government providing free health care present both advantages and disadvantages side of it. Free health care does not always completely free and can lead to discrepancy in other ministry bodies. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government providing free health care for the citizens. Firstly, it will discuss the advantages and then will look at the disadvantages and finally, it will try to draw a conclusion based on summarizing the content of the essay and tries to prove or disprove the thesis statement above and give a suggestion to the issue.
Firstly, the advantage of having a free health care is that it would be free for everyone. In any functional society, there are always three classes of people. The higher, the middle, and the lower class. When interviewed on 31 March, Moke (2010) “Usually, for any development in the country’s betterment, the higher and the middle class were the only one who always benefit while the lower class remains poor”. Fortunately, when it comes to free health care provided by the government, people are not classified. “Everybody is guaranteeing the same health treatment qualities and respect or in other words, when it comes to free health care there is neither rich nor poor; all the people will receive a universal health care”( Health Plans 2010). In the past years Solomon Islands was estimated to be, approximately 70% of the people were rural dweller who cannot afford health care end up with chronic illness and fatal conditions because they cannot afford to see a doctor nor pay for medications, diagnostic tools, and curative procedures such as surgery. But from since when the government introduces this system of free health care, people get immediate help and health in the country began to improve. Solomontimes (2007) states "I think our government has adopted one of the fairest health care systems in the world which does not discriminate against those who have limited financial resources to afford health services and drugs," Forau (2010).
In addition, government providing free health care is under one administration, the fact that the ministry of health is governing by a single body the government itself. Thus, “the cost of medicine and other medical equipments would go down since the government will purchase them in bulk compared to if purchased by private hospitals”(Health Plans 2010). This system is also affordable for the people if should there be any purchased needed for certain services. For example, In the Solomon Islands, blood testing and other medical attentions were only cost about four dollars (SBD$4.00), which is much cheaper compared to private hospitals. Therefore, government providing free health care is still considered better than privately owned hospitals.
Secondly, free health care provided by the government and other AID donor countries establish strong diplomatic relations with each other, which further create channels of exchange between them. This channels help to maintain this free health care in the Country consistently. Whereby, the government negotiates with these AID donors countries so that its students would do abroad studies in the field of Medicine and Pharmacies in these countries. “For the past years up until now, the Solomon Island government and Cuban government established strong relations and sending Solomon Island students to do medical studies in Cuba” Mamu (2008). Therefore, one could consider and recognized that free health care provided by the government is not only a directly beneficial way to patients. But, it is also a way to provide opportunities for students to do further study oversea and to gain significant skills and highly qualified doctors and physicians for the future betterment of the Country Solomon Islands.
STI diseases. In this way, the people will have better understanding of what really health is. For instance, Mamu (2010) reported “the Help A Friend Foundation (HAFF) medical team [a fragment of Regional Assistant Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI] recently conducted another medical tour to Marovo Lagoon in the Western Province in the Solomon Islands”. The people were so happy that they do not have to travel thousands of miles from the village to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara to see a doctor. Therefore, awareness curried out through such programs in the villages is always correlates with the standard of living and the healthiness of the people in the rural areas.
Thirdly, On the other hand, even though these free health services provided by the government sound free and exciting, there are few significant impacts were also recognized, which could be the disadvantages perspective of it. There would be lack of competition in the ministry of health, that is doctors and physicians somehow would still receive very low salaries compared to their qualifications papers. Health plan describe, as “Competition is a healthy feature of private enterprise. It should not be replaced with a monopoly. When there are no competitors, companies and government agencies become complacent lacking any reason to improve upon products and services” (Health plane 2010). Since, the government health services is free, people flooded to government owned hospital causing most private hospital break down leaving those who work in those hospital jobless. Consequently, some highly qualified doctors were even migrated out to other countries. For example, few doctors from Solomon Island had serving in different countries such as New Zealand and Australia due to low payments imposed by the government. From a more analytical observation, free health care may benefit the middle and lower class people but it will also cause job loss to higher-class people who work in this field.
Another point is, free health care is principally free but nothing is free.
There is really no such a thing as free health care, at least not for most people benefit. The National Health System in Great Britain is paid people to work for. The deductions were taken out of paychecks. While there is no bill at the end of course of a treatment, the health care has certainly been paid for. The only people who truly get free health care are those who have not contributed to the system. This group include those will not work and prefer to leech their way through life via government hand-outs, of course, the ubiquitous illegal aliens. The system is administration heavy, inefficient, unwieldy, and bogged down in red tape (Ganapathy 2008, p. 8). Sic.
It is also increase taxation in the long run for all classes of people. The higher-class people such as business owners and employees were been complained about the increase of taxes in the Solomon Islands from approximately five percent (5%) to thirty percent (30%) depending on the salaries. For the middle and low classes such as farmers and the grass roots people, new rules were been imposed to them. They have to pay about ten dollars (SBD$10.00) per head and this include private property such minor businesses and animals. Therefore, politically, this system of government providing free health care is not a completely free service, but indirectly, it is the people themselves who pay the cost of these services they enjoy.
Finally, government proving free health for the citizens somehow contradicts some elements of democracy in democratic countries. Since, medical services are free, this lead to the elimination of competitors as mention in paragraph seven above. Consequently, giving people no choice to which hospitals and physicians they want to visit. In countries like Solomon Islands where customs and culture were still strong, brothers and sisters are not allowed to deal with each other that is if either of the two is a doctor or a nurse and the other is a patient. Especially, when it comes to personal and confidential health problems. Therefore, free health services provided by the government still do have limitations in one way or the other.
In addition, as free health care seems to eliminate the competitors this lead to the problem of overcrowded in hospitals. “The hospitals were so crowed, making long queues from morning till evening only cause frustration to people without receiving medical help”(Health Plans 2010). Along with that, others were in the long waiting lists with bone fracture for almost months before the actual operation can took place. During this waiting time, some very sick people could lost their lives. For instance, just early this year my Cousin Brother rushes his daughter to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara for operation, having digestive problem. The doctor took their details and put them in the waiting list, and told them to come back in two months time. Unfortunately, the case was ended up unresolved but turns out in another way. She is death in the first month of the waiting time. Therefore, free health care can be also time consuming and take long before one can actually get treatments and this is totally wrong and Unreliable services. It is possible that people can wait for dates but diseases wait for no date.
In conclusion, it is clearly discuss above that government providing free health care for citizens is somehow show a balance between the advantages and the disadvantages of free health care. Therefore, one could conclude, reflect back on the thesis statement above to prove or disprove it. That is, Free health care does not always completely free and can lead to discrepancy in the government budget affecting other ministries. Free health care provided by the government is not absolutely free as many people might think but actually, it is the people themselves who pay for the medicines and other medical services that everyone enjoyed. Therefore, it is suggested that, while the government providing these services it should be cautious of other ministries in the country and ensure that that there is always a balance in the services provided by the government its people.
Bibliography.
Mamu, M. 2008, “Diplomats through health”, Solomonstarnews on the web,8 March, viewed 31 March 2011. http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/8133-chan-taiwan-pays-attention-on-health.
Moke, J. 2010, Free health care 2011, Personal interview, Suva, 31 March.
Solomon Islands tops Health care in the Pacific 2007, “ Solomon Islands tops health care in the Pacific”, Solomon Times on the web, 7 September, viewed 2 April 2011. http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=2952.
Thomsom, A. and William, C. 1991, The experience of PNG and its health services(No: 25), New brander WHO, Canberra.
VISTA Health Solution 2010, “Health Plans,” 26 April, viewed 29 March, 2011. : http://www.nychealthplan.com/articles/some-advantages-and-disadvantage-to-consider-in-the-universal-health-care-debate-in-america
Wakabi, W.2010, “The Lancet”, Mothers and infants to get free health care Sierra Leone, Vol. 375, p. 882. www. Thelancet.com.
