Abstract
The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shocked the whole world. It had a disastrous impact on the economies and the healthcare systems of South Asian countries. Australia was able to minimize the COVID-19 impact by imposing a strict lockdown. The healthcare system and the healthcare industry in Australia are advanced and provide high quality pharmaceutical products and healthcare services. Australia has a lot to offer to South Asian countries in public health programs, quality of healthcare, complementary medicine products, clinical data management and development, and drug developments. Healthcare systems in South Asian countries vary significantly. Australia can play a significant role in developing the healthcare systems of South Asia. For instance, Australia can provide the traditional medicine sectors in South Asian countries with scientifically effective complementary medicines. Improving healthcare bilateral investment and the trade relationship between South Asia countries and Australia is a win/win partnership for SAARC nations post pandemic.
TopHealthcare Systems In South Asia
South Asia is home to more than 24.8% of the world population (World Bank, 2020) and 40% of the poor in the world and 30% of the global disease burden (Dhillon, et al., 2012). The healthcare systems in SAARC countries vary. For instance, the Maldives enjoys a sound healthcare system and better overall health indicators than other South Asian countries. Alternatively, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have very high infant mortality and maternal mortality rates. The maternity and mortality indicators give a picture of the development of a healthcare system in a country.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Maternal Mortality: Death of either a pregnant woman or death of a woman within 42 days of delivery, miscarriage, termination, or ectopic pregnancy providing the death is associated with pregnancy or its treatment.
Healthcare Systems: Public healthcare services are administered by different regulatory authorities in each country.
Personal Health: The ability to take charge of your health by making conscious decisions to be healthy. It not only refers to the physical wellbeing of an individual, but it also comprises the wellness of emotional, intellect, social, economic, spiritual, and other areas of life.
Medical Tourism: The process of traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care. Originally, the term referred to the travel of patients from less-developed countries to developed nations in pursuit of the treatments not available in their homeland.
Healthcare Services: The codification of a health policy will directly impact the kinds of health care services available in an area.
Teaching Hospitals: A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals.
Health System: Referred to as health care system or as healthcare system, is the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations.
SAARC: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in South Asia. It was established in 1985 when the Heads of State of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted the charter. What is the main purpose of SAARC? The main objectives of SAARC are to place regional cooperation on a firm foundation, accelerate the pace of social and economic development of the countries, and further the cause of peace, progress, and stability in the region.
Bilateral Trade: The exchange of goods between two nations promoting trade and investment. The two countries will reduce or eliminate tariffs, import quotas, export restraints, and other trade barriers to encourage trade and investment.
COVID-19: A large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Also known as novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceuticals industry consists of drug manufacturers, biotechnology companies and the distribution and wholesale companies that handle the products produced. Most of the revenues in the industry come from drug companies who make prescription, generic, and over-the-counter drugs for medical or veterinary use.
Medical Standards: Standards are explicit statements of expected quality in the performance of a health care activity. They may take the form of procedures, clinical practice guidelines, treatment protocols, critical paths, algorithms, standard operating procedures, or statements of expected health care outcomes, among other formats.
Infant Mortality: The death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.
Referral Centers: A tertiary referral hospital (also called a tertiary hospital, tertiary referral center, tertiary care center, or tertiary center) is a hospital that provides tertiary care, which is a level of health care obtained from specialists in a large hospital after referral from the providers of primary care and secondary care.
Clinical Governance: The framework through which healthcare organizations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high quality of care'. Leadership is required to ensure that clinical governance processes are embedded within service provision.
Specialized Hospitals: Those offer focused services to treat medical conditions that require a particular subset of skills and technology. They have existed in various forms for many years as children's hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, eye and ear hospitals, arthritis hospitals, and others.