The debate for free health service is one that comes up every so often, with people arguing the plausibility of any state government maintaining such a system. I for one, am a proponent of free health service, even if it means it might not cover the latest medical treatments.
The population of any state is made up of the very rich and the very poor. It is simple economics. Even in states with booming economies and impressive GDPs, there will always be people living below the average means. It is for these people that I argue for free health care. If there is no state-sponsored health service, what hope do these people have?
In Nigeria for example, before the government introduced free community health centres in the 90s, the country had an infant mortality rate of 50%. Why? lack of basic healthcare for pregnant women; no birthing theatres, no blood banks, no post-natal care facility. The country was also heading for a population crisis because poor families did not have access to free birth control and family planning clinics.
I am a beneficiary of free healthcare. When I was two years old, I fell ill and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. My parents initially took me to a private clinic near our house. My condition necessitated that I undergo a blood transfusion. The private clinic required payment for this service, and it was an amount my family could not afford. We were then referred to the government clinic two towns away that was offering the service for free. I survived that illness because of the free clinic.
Nigeria currently has a single-digit infant mortality rate. Children born to poor families, like me, have a better chance of survival because of the availability of free healthcare services.
While I do accept that it is a difficult task to offer all medical treatments free of charge to the entire population, simply because it would be too expensive, I believe that at least basic healthcare for vunerable members of society i. e the infants, and the elderly, should be free in every country of the world.
The debate for
free
health
service
is one that
comes
up every
so
often
, with
people
arguing the plausibility of any state
government
maintaining such a system. I for one, am a proponent of
free
health
service
, even if it means it might not cover the latest medical treatments.
The population of any state
is made
up of the
very
rich and the
very
poor. It is simple economics. Even in states with booming economies and impressive
GDPs
, there will always be
people
living below the average means. It is for these
people
that I argue for
free
health
care. If there is no state-sponsored
health
service
, what hope do these
people
have?
In Nigeria
for example
,
before
the
government
introduced
free
community
health
centres
in the 90s, the country had an infant mortality rate of 50%. Why?
lack
of basic healthcare for pregnant women; no birthing
theatres
, no blood banks, no post-natal care facility. The country was
also
heading for a population crisis
because
poor
families
did not have access to
free
birth control and
family
planning clinics.
I am a beneficiary of
free
healthcare. When I was two years
old
, I fell ill and had to
be taken
to the hospital for treatment. My parents
initially
took me to a private clinic near our
house
. My condition necessitated that I undergo a blood transfusion. The private clinic required payment for this
service
, and it was an amount my
family
could not afford. We were then referred to the
government
clinic two towns away that was offering the
service
for
free
. I survived that illness
because
of the
free
clinic.
Nigeria
currently
has a single-digit infant mortality rate. Children born to poor
families
, like me, have a better chance of survival
because
of the availability of
free
healthcare services.
While I do accept that it is a difficult task to offer all medical treatments
free
of charge to the entire population,
simply
because
it would be too expensive, I believe that at least basic healthcare for
vunerable
members of society i. e the infants, and the elderly, should be
free
in every country of the world.