Healthcare is one of the industries that is experiencing difficulties worldwide. People in developed nations live longer due to improvements in lifestyle and advancements in science, technology, and research. However, socioeconomic issues often result in a decline in life expectancy in developing nations. Both extremes financially strain governments, insurance companies, and societies. The United Kingdom recently raised the alarm over the rising cancer death rate. Ebola is reemerging in Uganda, measles infection is resurfacing in Kenya, and Nigeria faces many health issues. So healthcare system is critical to any nation.
What are some of the global challenges confronting the healthcare sector?
One of the challenges healthcare faces is workforce shortages. Worldwide, hospitals are short-staffed. Developed nations need help to get enough, while developing countries struggle to keep theirs.
Another challenge is treatment cost. Many patients can’t afford treatment. Where insurance is available, cost burden and profit maximization objectives overcome patient interest leaving the government to extensively subsidize healthcare in many countries, balancing demand, supply, and cost.
The UN suggests allocating 15% of the budget to health. How can a country that is in debt adequately support healthcare? What can we do to make the healthcare system better?
First, the Nigerian Government should focus on optimizing resources. We should determine how much money is needed to improve population health and ensure the efficiency and accountability of current funds. It’s not about budget allocation but about effectively and efficiently administering resources to equip hospitals better and improve staff welfare. As part of resource balancing, the government can designate some teaching hospitals as centers of excellence for specific medical specialties and ensure they are fully equipped to handle those cases at scale.
Second, according to the UN, over 18 million healthcare workers will be needed by 2030. With current medical training and education, it’s doubtful we’ll meet that number, especially in developing nations. To boost output, it is necessary to reassess and reconceptualize the medical education system to fit current exigencies. Encourage younger individuals to pursue medical studies and incentivize private universities to invest in medical sciences education to improve productivity.
Third, Universal health insurance is necessary for efficient healthcare administration. Government should design a mass enrollment method with participation from the private sector. The insurance business should be well-organized, well-financed, and regulated to ensure fast claims payments. There is a need for increased insurance awareness and mandated healthcare screenings, and the government should prioritize primary healthcare availability.
Despite efforts in many countries to improve and build equity into their healthcare system, there is still a concern about the cost of medication. An important objective should be to minimise the cost of medication and medical supplies globally, which requires a thorough examination of the business practices of the pharmaceutical industry and decentralised production for easy accessibility and optimised logistics.
