Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

[Az]

I've got to agree. Throwing money at problems does NOT solve them. however, sometimes there are funding problems. In this case, there could be a funding problem, and there could be a systematic problem.

Like education in Israel. We throw lots of money, but kids become dumber and dumber due to inadequate educational programs.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Dissident
And Tort reform would have to be on the top of that list. As malpractice would make it too expensive.

I know several states are looking at this.

Some doctors even went on strike last year until there were malpractice limits put into law.

But malpractice reform has reached crisis levels and needs to be dealt with no matter what happens.

[*End Is Forever*]

The thing to note is American medical system is better than any other in the world. There is a reason why people from nations like Cuba (who has universal health care) come to the U.S. for big operations like in the Mayo clinic. We have the most advanced equipment and best trained surgeons and specialists. But all that costs more money than the medical system in a place like Cuba.

That's nonsense. It's true that at the high-end of medical advancement, particularly in pioneering surgery, the USA has an excellent record. However, this involves a tiny minority of those in need of medical help.

The simple truth is that unless you are one of the minority pay through the nose for Health Insurance, the American system is ludicrously inferior and - worse - you're paying a fortune for it. The USA spends considerably higher %GDP for a system that leaves a significant proportion of the population uncovered than, say, France or Germany do for a system that leaves everybody covered.

[Ted Striker]

Watch it Iain you said the F and G words.

[Edan]

Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by chegitz guevara Can we have it here?

Does anyone really think that the medical condition of Iraqis once universal health care system is in place will really be better than the condition of Americans without such a system in place? Any universal healthcare will almost certainly be concentrating on meeting basic medical services and trying to undo the decades of deteriorating conditions under Saddam for the forseeable future, not on screening and treating cancer or the like.

[Az]

That's nonsense. It's true that at the high-end of medical advancement, particularly in pioneering surgery, the USA has an excellent record. However, this involves a tiny minority of those in need of medical help.

The simple truth is that unless you are one of the minority pay through the nose for Health Insurance, the American system is ludicrously inferior and - worse - you're paying a fortune for it. The USA spends considerably higher %GDP for a system that leaves a significant proportion of the population uncovered than, say, France or Germany do for a system that leaves everybody covered.

[DinoDoc]

Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by Edan
Does anyone really think that the medical condition of Iraqis once universal health care system is in place will really be better than the condition of Americans without such a system in place?

The thread was never really about that. We're discussing the merrits of reviving a proposal that failed miserably in Congress even when it had everything going for it.

[Edan]

Re: Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by DinoDoc
The thread was never really about that.

Well, it was for the first post.

[Ted Striker]

Re: Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by DinoDoc
The thread was never really about that. We're discussing the merrits of reviving a proposal that failed miserably in Congress even when it had everything going for it.

Well I'm not. The original proposal sucked.

We need a new one.

[jolair]

Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by Edan
Any universal healthcare will almost certainly be concentrating on meeting basic medical services and trying to undo the decades of deteriorating conditions under Saddam for the forseeable future, not on screening and treating cancer or the like.

Just 12 years of deteriorating conditions under embargo.

Until 1991 their medical services were quite good.

[Ted Striker]

Re: Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by jolair


Just 12 years of deteriorating conditions under embargo.

Until 1991 their medical services were quite good.

Maybe you missed the part about:

1) Saddam invading Kuwait to get rid of the debts because of all the money he owed them

2) Saddam building several dozen million/billion dollar palace complexes across the country

3) US soliders recently recover $650 million dollars just sitting there

Embargo had nothing to do with it.

[jolair]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Iraq to get Univesal Health Care

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Embargo had nothing to do with it.

"Health Situation in Iraq"

presented by

Dr W. Kreisel Executive Director WHO Office of the European Union

At the hearing "Iraq and the International Community" of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy

Brussels, 26 February 2001 Health Situation one decade ago

Before 1990 Iraq, with a GNP per capita of USD 2,800, belonged to the group of middle-income countries. The large investments in infrastructures and in human resources development carried out during the sixties and seventies had led to the development of an efficient health system that was considered one of the best in the Middle-East Region.

Malnutrition was virtually not seen, as households had easy and affordable access to a balanced dietary intake. Health care services were guaranteed by an extensive network of well-equipped, well-suppplied and well-staffed health facilities. The access of patients to higher levels of care was easy and effortless, supported as it was by a distributed network of secondary and tertiary hospitals/institutions. Ambulances and emergency services were well developed and benefitted from a properly maintained network of roads and telecommunications.

Water and sanitation services benefitted from large investments in water and sewage treatment plants during earlier decades, assuring nearly universal access to abundant safe drinking water and to a relatively clean environment. Electricity had been made available even to remote villages.

Health conditions were comparable to those of the middle or high-middle income countries.

The following table reports available health indicators prior to the Gulf War. As of 1989, these were as follows :

Health Status Indicators : Birth Rate 43 Per 1000 population Crude Death Rate 8 Per 1000 population Infant Mortality Rate 52 Per 1000 live births Under 5 Mortality Rate 94 Per 1000 live births Maternal Mortality Rate 160 Per 100 000 live births Low Birth Weight newborns 5% (below 2.5 kg) Life Expectancy 66 years

Health Service Performance Indicators % Population with Health Care 85% % Population with Safe Water 93% % Pregnant Women with Maternity Care 90% % Pregnant Women with Trained Birth Attendants during Delivery 86%

Indicators above point to a situation where resources for health were possibly adequate and equitably distributed.

Current Humanitarian and Health Situation

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General drew international attention to the humanitarian situation in Iraq in his report of July 1991. This report spelt out the grave and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq resulting from a set of interrelated factors : severely damaged essential civilian infrastructure, food shortage, poor environmental sanitation, non-functioning social and economic sectors.

Five years later the conditions had worsened to such an extent that the UN Security Council passed in May 1996 Resolution 986 to launch the "Oil-for-Food" Programme, thus allowing import of food and medicines into the country, paid out of the sale of limited amounts of Iraqi oil. The Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the United Nations and Iraq stipulated the modalities of this humanitarian assistance programme. The World Health Organization, as the United Nations specialized agency for health matters, executes some components of the health sector, co-ordinating with other UN Agencies health and health-related issues.

The severity of Iraq's humanitarian situation stems from the massive and swift degradation of the country's civilian infrastructure, aggravated by over 10 years of economic and trade isolation. Overall health conditions of the population remain poor -- well below the 1990 levels ; environmental health hazards continue unrelieved. Food availability and consumption fall short of requirements impacting the nutritional status of large part of the population. Chronic malnutrition is widespread, especially among the growing children.

After 1991 the declining food production resulted in a sharp drop in the country's ability to meet the population's basic nutritional requirements. Unlike the situation in the northern Governorates, food supplies continue to be inadequate in the centre and south of Iraq. Against a target of 2,463 kilocalories and 63.6 gms of protein per person per day, the nutritional value of the distributed food-basket do not exceed, on average, 1,993 kilocalories and 43 grams of protein. Prior to the start of the "Oil-for-Food" Programme the government of Iraq distributed 1,300 kilocalories per day.

The government food ration shows both quantitative and qualitative deficit in calories and micronutrients. The 1997 survey carried out by FAO revealed, amongst other things, a prevalence of acute, sub-acute and chronic malnutrition in children, with no significant decline compared to FAO 1995 findings. In their "Assessment of Food & Nutrition Situation in Iraq" of May-June 2000, the FAO/WFP/WHO confirmed that about 800,000 children under 5 are chronically malnourished. The report also indicated a high prevalence of anaemia in school children, and stated that numerous cases of rickets (Vitamin D deficiency) still occur. The report also confirmed that diarrhoea was an important contributing factor to the malnutrition cycle in Iraq. Wasting (low weight for height) in children under 5 was reported to be over 10% in Baghdad, Kerbala and Diyala governorates.

Some 30,232 cases of kwashiorkor and 264,468 cases of marasmus were registered in Iraq in 1998. Almost two million children were registered in 1998 as suffering from other protein, calorie & vitamin-related malnutrition. What is also alarming is the possibility that many of these children will fail to catch up with their potential intellectual growth and development in adult life.

UNICEF confirms that infant mortality and under-5 mortality rates are high. They have risen from 47 (IMR) and from 56 (Under 5 MR) in the period 1984-1989, to 108 (IMR) to 131 respectively (Under 5 MR) for the period 1994-1999.

Diseases that were virtually under control are re-emerging. Malaria, and waterborne diseases such as typhoid have not only reappeared but are now threatening large areas of the country which were not affected before. Other bacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis, are also on the increase. There has been a sharp upward trend in vaccine preventable diseases, which are now being brought under control by an intensive campaign of immunization jointly conducted by WHO and UNICEF. Ill health associated with pregnancy and deaths associated with childbirth have increased. Those deaths provide additional evidence of the poor nutritional status of pregnant women and highlight inadequate health care delivery. The number of infants with low birth-weight and women with severe anemia have also increased.

Many essential public health services such as blood transfusion and water quality control services cannot function due to lack of laboratory reagents and kits. Emergency and ambulance services for the referral of patients cannot carry out their functions, due to lack of or inadequate provisions of equipment and supplies.

Most of the health facilities are in poor physical state, lacking water and often without power supply, making them unsafe and unsuitable for good patient care.

Significant quantities of medicine and medical supplies and equipment have reached the country under SCR (Security Council Resolution) 986. Their utilization remains, however, not optimal. The installation and transportation to locations where they are needed has been and is still often prevented by logistic or financial constraints.

The functionality of water and sanitation plants is adversely affected by the lack of spare parts and of maintenance. Those utilities also require repair and rehabilitation, as unsafe drinking water, unhygienic environment and poor sewage systems continue to endanger the health of large sections of the Iraqi population.

http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/cahier/irak/who-pr200102

[Ted Striker]

That's a nice article there but it still doesn't explain why Saddam spent billions on palaces and stupid **** instead of feeding his own people.

Meanwhile the people in Northern Iraq (who DID spend oil money on food) were doing fine the whole time.

[DinoDoc]

Can we compare the Kurdish controlled North with the area under the sway of Baghdad since they both opperated under the exact same sanctions? That might give us a great way of determining of it was the sanctions or Saddam that was the problem.

[DarthVeda]

Socialized Medicine: So we can all be sick and miserable together!