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Medicine and Medical Resources in Developed Countries vs. Developing Countries

Alanis Acosta

August 9, 2020          

 

          Imagine the following scenario: sick people everywhere in the hospital waiting for the doctor to treat them with the right and necessary medication; however, because of an incredible and unbelievable lack of resources, most of those people will probably die. Now picture this: patients have the ability to receive exceptional medical care, and a selective group of people such as veterans and low-income individuals are even awarded with benefits and free services sometimes. Among the countless differences between developed and low-income countries in regard to medicine and medical resources, the essential distinction has always been the lack of resources in poor nations. Nonetheless, there are many other variables to consider.

          First off, countries predominantly in the continents of Europe and Asia, as well as the United States, offer healthcare for a price. Even though each country has their own rules and healthcare systems, in the U.S, we are able to pay for insurance that will highly benefit us in the long run regarding our health. On the other hand, few countries today provide free medical services to its citizens.

          It is not a surprise that low-income countries have a higher percentage of ill people, due to unsanitary environments because of its economic status. The lack of food, clean water, shelter, and failure to deal with situations that lead to infectious diseases and exposure to dangerous toxins, make it almost impossible for low-income countries to be able to grant satisfactory medical care. The absence of nurses and doctors, as well as reparations of hospitals and clinics also contribute to its inefficiency. Fortunately, developed countries do not experience this.

          Furthermore, developing countries tend to have a common characteristic: lack of resources, including medical equipment. Because of its economic situation, everything is pretty limited in low-income nations. According to medical student Rachel Morales, who works as an intern in a surgical clinical hospital in Havana, Cuba, the shortage of supplies is tremendous. Varying from antibiotics, syringes, thermometers, and vital medicine, hospitals in Cuba are flooded with helpless patients. As a tragic consequence of this, patients with 10 different types of infections are treated with the same antibiotic because it is the only one left. Subsequently, some patients do not respond to the treatment and most even worsen. The ones that suffer the most during these circumstances are the elderly. Under this amount of stress, doctors need to prioritize and therefore dedicate their attention to the ones who have a higher chance at survival, which include children and young ones. They consider using the few drugs left on old people a “waste of resources”. As I spoke to Ms. Morales, she states, and I translate: “to me, if an elderly person walks into a hospital alone, he/she will most likely die”.

          The fundamental issue in these countries is the weak economy. Everyone needs to do whatever they have to in order to survive and feed their families, which sometimes includes nurses and staff stealing their own hospital’s supplies and selling them on the streets at an exaggerated price to make a living. Ms. Morales mentioned how in Cuba nurses would steal medications and instead of putting the doctor’s orders, they would inject the patient with water to fool them into believing they got the medicine they needed. This is just one example of many around the globe in other low-income countries where their main concern is survival.

          When comparing these different systems, we should all feel immensely grateful for the amazing opportunities we have in the U.S, and when we complain, think about others that are struggling at this moment elsewhere.​

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