Healthcare is the general term used for the entire sphere of prevention, treatment and cure of illness and disease using the facilities of medical experts and resources. According to The WHO, healthcare embraces all the goods and facilities designed to promote health, including preventive, curative and palliative interventions, whether directed to people or to populations. Working to together this way, the whole medical community would fall under the expression healthcare system.
The term health care has not always been used though and prior to this is it was often just referred to medicine or the health sector but this was used more by English speaking countries. Around the world today, most countries have a system in place to ensure that everyone receives health care irrespective of their social standing or financial situation. It was the UK that pioneered the first population based health care system back in 1948 called The National Health Service run by each consecutive government.
According to The WHO, a good alternative to this system is that in Italy where insurance for health is a compulsory but is a administration funded service and possibly the second best around the world. Other examples are Medicare in Australia, established in the 1970s by the Labor administration, and by the same name Medicare in Canada, established between 19.6 and 1984. These systems are almost opposite to the systems currently provided in American and South Africa although there are huge changes taking place in the system used by South Africa. A healthcare professional is someone who dedicates their skills to the prevention, treatment and aftercare of disease and illnesses with the intention to preserve and protect life and better the lives of the disabled or infirm.
Whether you use the phrase health care industry or not, it is still one of the fastest growing around the world with an average cost of ten percent of gross domestic product it also plays a large part in the economy of any country. America bucks this trend with, back in 2003, a health industry responsible or over fifteen percent of gross domestic product but this is expected to rise considerably by 2016 when it will almost one fifth of America GDP.
This fact is highlighted by the large number of American citizens who have serious concerns about their health care, around 180 million to be precise, and the main worry for anyone seeking employment in America. The steep rises in the health care system in America almost contributed to the bankruptcy of the giant car manufacturer General motors. In this example some hard Union negotiations, compromises and the closing down of their finance arm GMAC meant this action wasn’t needed.
Healthcare has become an extremely fundamental issue to Americans one which employers must address to a work force which demands better health care benefits. Maybe the situation needs to be looked at from a different angle, one in which people are promoted to stay fit and healthy as societies in general see a decline in the health of its populations.
