Singapore
The Ministry of Health, a division of the Singapore Government, is responsible for administering healthcare to the population. The system is described as effective and easily accessible, with Bloomberg ranking it as second on measures of efficiency in the world, after Hong Kong. Healthcare is universal, with the government ensuring accessibility and affordability through payment systems, including compulsory savings, price controls, and subsidies. Compulsory savings are obtained through deductions on earnings that are pooled and easily traceable to the individual. These savings may be used within a family, including extended family. The patient has the option to choose one of three levels of subsidy, according to how much he or she can pay, at the time the medical service is obtained.
Healthcare Spending
Healthcare spending is moderate in Singapore. The country spent 4.7% of the national GDP on healthcare costs in 2012, which amounted to $2,881 USD per capita. The percentage of GDP spent on healthcare in Singapore is actually quite low; Singapore ranks 150th in the world based on this percentage alone and is on par with countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Benin. However, since the GDP is actually quite high in Singapore, the total amount spent is less comparable to countries that spend the same percentage of their GDP. For instance, The Philippines spent a similar percentage (4.1%) of the national GDP on healthcare in 2012; this amounted to it $202 USD per capita, approximately 14% of the amount spent in Singapore. In contrast, Italy spent 9.2% of its national GDP on healthcare in 2012 and it amounted to slightly over the amount spent in Singapore.
Availability of Care
Singapore has 1.92 physicians per one thousand persons. This figure is on par with other high-income countries such as the United States and Japan. It is above the regional average for the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region, which is 1.53 physicians per one thousand people. There are 6.39 nurses and midwives per every one thousand people and 2.7 beds per one thousand people.
Life Expectancy & Mortality
Singapore ranks fourth in the world in measures of life expectancy. Females born in 2014 in Singapore can expect to live for 87.07 years, on average. Males born in the same year can expect to live 81.66 years, on average. Combined, the national average life expectancy is 84.38 years. This figure is far above neighboring countries and points to the efficacy of Singapore’s healthcare system.
Other Issues
As indicated above, Singapore is well known for having one of the most effective and functional healthcare systems in the world. The government is constantly monitoring and revisiting healthcare policy with the goal of regulating costs to ensure that care is affordable for citizens across the country. However, in the private medical sector, it is impossible to keep costs in check, as they depend on the market. Patients may choose between private and public healthcare and indeed, many people living in Singapore have supplementary healthcare insurance for access to private institutions and facilities.