Comparative Healthcare: Child Health

C Jayakumar, Ron Thomas Varghese, Nicole Mohajer, Caroline Hawkins

Abstract

Unlike India Australia boasts many community services for children from families with  complex health problems.  Practitioners from India report that their private health system is among the best in the world and that the training, experience and quality of Indian doctors attract private patients from across the globe. On the other hand for many Indians their local health system is not well resourced as is illustrated in the response to these case scenarios.  The coverage of organized immunisation program can be limited in some areas; therefore infectious disease is a far greater problem than it is in Australia. In India liberal controls over the sale of many drugs has resulted in widespread abuse of antibiotics and NSAIDs. The lack of electricity in rural areas precludes the storage of insulin and sterile injecting equipment which undermines the quality of diabetic care. On the other hand most Australians benefit from greater government expenditure on health. The welfare system is much more equipped to support  parents from underpriviledge areas. Many schools will accept children with intellectual or physical challenges into mainstream classes and can sometimes be financially supported to have a teacher’s assistant for the child. Two groups of Australians need extra support: migrants who may not speak English or know how to access statutory services  and Aboriginal people for whom language, lack of social supports  or remoteness from health care underscores inequity.
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