Photo Credit: “Cuban Health Care”. USA Today. Oliver D.
Lives of people in this globalization world have been hugely altered compared to the past generation in the sense of innovation and technology which have evolved the healthcare system throughout the world. Due to many transformations, new diseases were adopted ; however, more advance health treatment and vaccines were invented simultaneously in many countries which induce people to pay more attention to wellness.
The two countries that had their own methods of organizing healthcare and developments are Cuba and Thailand which could represent differences in their approaches towards own targets or addressing challenges with statistical evidences and how these improvements in health save lives or create benefits.
Why Cuba is considered as one of the best healthcare country in the world? How did it achieve this position? might be questions that people were curious about. Prevention was the main approach of Cuba to improve healthcare system. “Prevention is better than cure” – Art Johnson . This organized system was being interested by many countries as it began with the basic working group which was family doctor offices. The family would be the closest sector to follow up their members’ health, the next step would belong to the doctor who would be able to provide or teach people the foundation treatment for emergency while the office agent will back up the community with knowledge about diseases’ prevention and steps to stop the spread of diseases. In short, this approach was well-known as people centered healthcare.
Cuban’s health betterment did not only assist lives extension but it also played an important role in being a big hero since the past until now.
In 1960, Cuba’s doctor was called the army of white coats who were sent to heal people from death in Chile’s earthquake. The Mission miracle and Operation miracle of Cuba had served without any charges to cure many eye diseases for other third world countries’ individuals. Vaccination campaign and huge numbers of doctors sending abroad nowadays were also a large step of Cuba in its progress of healthcare that could save numerous patients.
Cuban’s success can be guaranteed by the rise in statistics of the life expectancy and the fall mortality rate, stated by the CIA World Factbook. Cuba’s life expectancy for males account for 76.5, and it is 81.3 for females which enhances it to rank as the 33rd world’s highest life expectancy . In addition, the death rate of Cuba reaches 8.7 deaths per one thousand of population.
For Thailand, in the near future, it will completely encounter aging society, because the ratio of the Thais’ elderly are about one fifth of the total population while expecting to soar and reach one forth in 2040.
The upcoming aging society has challenged Thailand to reconsider the healthcare system and provide long-term care for old people. To solve this situation, Thailand had established the “National Committee of Senior Citizens” to educate more doctors to specialize in treating old individuals due to the huge demands of elderly healthcare shortly. Part of the tools that Thai’s government, organizations, and health experts select to distribute the information of healthcare to citizens is media such as online applications, movies, radios, advertisements, etc.
Artiwara Kongmalai or Toon (Thai actor and singer) was an example of healthcare leaders who also used media as a channel to promote and established a charity run to raise donations for 11 hospitals around Thailand. The funds were spent on technical equipments for higher quality with more precise treatments or constructing facilitators for patients both elderly and young children. Furthermore, the action itself encouraged Thais to realize the importance of good health since young age and enable them to have a sustain health in the long run.
Unexpectedly, one of the hospitals that had utilized funds provided by Toon called Chiangraiprachanukro was part of story in accommodating and curing the thirteen boys and coaches trapped in the cave in Chiangrai. In short, the benefit of improving healthcare did not only benefit elderly but to the whole.
Throughout the initiative in developing better healthcare, Thailand’s life expectancy is currently experiencing 71.8 and 79.3 for males and females respectively. According to the world life expectancy, its life expectancy rate is listed as the 69th of the world while encountering 18.38 per thousand births in mortality rate in 2018. This information and analysis have highlighted alternatives healthcare development of Cuba and Thailand that could represent uniqueness of methods to achieve their goals or solve the issue. The more effective health system ,through the usage of media together with public organization in Thailand, or the preventative approaches by Cuban’s government of the family doctor office, could be supported by statistical proves and real results of the improvement in health sectors of both nations.
Reference list
CIA World Factbook. (2018, January 20). Cuba Demographic Profile 2018. Retrieved from https://www.indexmundi.com/cuba/demographics_profile.html
WorldLifeExpectancy. (2018). THAILAND: LIFE EXPECTANCY. Retrieved from https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/thailand-life-expectancy
