Rising Costs: Even the Rich Go to Govt Health Centres
I REFER to the letter “Health should not be only about wealth” (NST, Nov 11). Though enlightening, the reality is far more complex.
The suggestion to keep costs minimal and manageable is a daunting task as there are many players involved in the integrated system that we practise.
We cannot ignore the fact that all policies, healthcare included, are dictated by politics and commercial interests.
Though we inherited the basic system from our colonial masters, we have not moved with the times and emulated their current system.
We are still in the era where the government plays the key role in policy-making, managing and providing subsidies to healthcare.
The people are not prepared to take charge of their healthcare, especially from the financial point.
Obviously, the government is burdened with having to cope with large crowds and resources stretched thin because the public takes for granted cheap and good healthcare services provided by the government.
Policy-makers have set an unhealthy precedent in many instances by not factoring population growth and longer life expectancy. An ageing population demands incremental health resources.
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