The Minister of Tourism Dr. Mahmoud Shaugy wants to introduce medical tourism in Maldives for foreign tourists.
Before our government ventures out to provide medical tourism to foreign tourists, they should introduce health care to all citizens. We should consider health care models like the health care in Canada that is funded and delivered through a publicly funded health care system or a Universal health care program in which health care costs are met by the population via compulsory health insurance or taxation, or a combination of both.
An interesting article on Healthcare Economist gives an analysis of Singapore's Health Care System. Read it here.
Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus one of the pioneers of the microcredit industry and the founder of the Grameen Bank, gave his comments on health care at the World Health Care Congress Europe 2007.
When Dr. Yunus was questioned as to whether or not poor individuals in Bangladesh should have to pay for health care, he replied: “I think it’s very important to have the patients, the people who are asking for health services, to pay. How that payment will be made…it can be in a variety of ways. But the important thing is they must pay. They must feel that this is a service they are buying so that they feel equal, so they don’t feel small.”
Dr. Yunus later states that payment for medical services can be made in a variety of ways. Of course, there are cash payments, but individuals also can pay by taking out a loan or making incremental payments, or purchasing health insurance in anticipation of the possibility of sickness or individuals could even pay in kind if they have little cash.
The Maldivian Government must learn from economists like Dr. Mohammad Yunus and introduce a health care program for all citizens.
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1 comment:
Already it is becoming too late and they are hell bent on making more money.
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