There is no importance than a major epidemic disease, which can highlight the importance of a reliable and widely popular medical and health system. We have now realized that countries are obviously unable to pursue economic development.Move forward.On the contrary, they must imitate the Korean approach: formulate targeted strategies to effectively provide medical services and drive together with more macro social and economic development.
In the past 10 years, South Korea's modern and powerful medical infrastructure has enabled it to deal with a number of major hygiene crises, and it is the same when facing the coronary virus crisis.Although South Korea has encountered one of the world's largest early epidemic in the world, it has successfully controlled the virus without implementing the national blockade.
This achievement is not a day.While South Korea has grown rapidly from low -income countries to high -income countries, the sanitary conditions have also improved significantly.From 1960 to 1990, the infant mortality rate decreased sharply, from 80 of each newborn to just 13 people to only 13, and the average life expectancy at the age of 55 was increased from 55 to 72.
All this is by no means accidental.In the early days of development, the South Korean government began to invest in medical care, especially to ensure that rural communities and poor people can get medical services.In the 1950s, the government established a vaccination center in each village.
In the 1960s, the South Korean government just launched incentive measures to ensure that doctors can consult from all over the country.For example, private practitioners are appointed as public doctors, and medical students can use their promises for two to five years to work in the shortage of medical resources after graduation in exchange for scholarships.
However, the South Korean government not only ensures that there are medical resources to use, but also try to use it to use it.In 1954, South Korea issued a law, stipulating that children under the age of 14 must accept immune vaccination.This measure is combined with the support of community medical centers everywhere and the support of the World Health Organization Consultant, which greatly increases the vaccination rate of Korean vaccine, thereby curbing many acute infectious diseases.Since 1961, South Korea has not reported on ceiling cases; since 1968, there have been no cases of drain typhoid fever, and pediatric paralysis (spinal ash) has disappeared since 1984.
Of course, the progress of economic development has also greatly promoted public health.With the increase of per capita GDP (GDP), from $ 158 in 1960 to $ 6610 in 1990, to US $ 12,257 in 2000, employees and enterprises paid the compulsory health insurance system introduced in 1977 in 1977The ability has also increased.
In fact, South Korea has a voluntary insurance system since early 1960, but the lack of experienced staff and the low participation of medical institutions have weakened its effectiveness.The new insurance plan has increased fiscal resources and expanded the scope of insurance to employees of self -employment and informal fields. In 1989, they achieved national medical insurance.Today, compulsory insurance is still the main source of funding for the medical and health system.
Health and health education also plays a great role.Even before most Koreans were unable to accept high -quality education, government agencies have already covered important information about themes such as cleanliness, food hygiene, immunization, and family planning through newspapers, leaflets and television broadcasting.
With the continuous improvement of education, especially women's education level, the results of medical treatment have been further improved.This is not only because people have more knowledge related to health, but also because the fertility rate has been born from 6.1 children in each woman in 1960 to 1.6 children in 1990.This trend, coupled with economic growth and income increase, greatly increased people's investment in children's health.In fact, in the 1970s and the 1980s, medical expenditure growth was faster than GDP.As the demand for medical services increases, the number of public and private clinics and hospitals has increased.
Today, South Korea is still continuing to strengthen and improve its healthcare system.For example, it uses a large amount of health data it can master to evaluate the consumption of medical services and improve its efficiency and cost.
Several pillars of the Korean model: medical insurance, fair opportunities and high -cost benefits are suitable for all developing countries. The key is to carefully design a number of medical and health strategies to make up for the economic development agenda of various countries.
Such strategies should include investment in infrastructure such as hospitals and clinics, as well as measures to attract qualified medical personnel to operate poverty and rural regional medical institutions.In order to achieve the goal of national medical insurance, governments of various countries can consider establishing a single national medical insurance system like South Korea.
In order to promote progress, governments of various countries should formulate specific indicators with reference to the UN sustainable development goals, such as newborns mortality, clean water, and appropriate sanitary facilities penetration rate, disease elimination and medical insurance ratio.Major global development partners should also support these tasks.
The effective medical and health system can make people have a longer and more diverse life, support the development of human capital, and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth.They are also essential for protecting people from major health impacts such as coronary virus crisis and inevitable future epidemic.The effective model has been in front of it, and developing countries should follow it.
Author Lee Jong-WHA is a professor of economics at the University of Korea. He used to be the chief economist of Asian Development Bank and a senior adviser to former South Korean President Li Mingbo International Economic Affairs.
English Title: How South Korea Built A Health System to Beat Covid-19
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020.
