Privatization of the health sector and the right to receive treatment

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This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed Aljabri, a third year medical student at Hadramout university/ Hadramout governorate/ Yemen. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

The right to receive medical treatment is not a luxury, or a complementary commodity for citizens, it’s a requirment for the establishment of the society itself , while the lack of a constant fund can create an obstacle, all countries can do more with their resources .

In the face of severe crises borne by the poor, especially the most to bear the greatest economic suffering and crises experienced by states in the absence of clear policies and able to find appropriate solutions other than tolerance and call for austerity, official policies did not stop their, but want to increase the depth and imbalance between them and citizens by increasing the suffering in terms of treatment and medication. After the price of medicines has been raised  many times, treatment or medication with them may be the subject of citizens` life choices, as most of us will not be able to get the full list of medicines.

For example in Egypt, the announcement of the government`s desire to sell a group of Hospitals called integrational Hospitals and transfer them  to the private sectors, which increases the burdens of citizens, especially as these Hospitals for sale are located in areas between popular and rural, shows how these can cause a gao between the patient and the medical sector, thus proving thier worth to the society . Even if the authority argues that these Hospitals are failing, or that they did not achieve success in performing their work, this is not a justification for offering them for sale.

We know very well that the world market for medicine is becoming more and more brutal, but is not justified until the state voluntarily gives up its main role. Which is not only its role, but also from the second point of the picture is the right of citizens to which the state has the obligation to respect and activate , therefore, the  Ministry of health must assume its capabilities and strive to achieve the goal for which its survival and existence , and to create a strict and effective policy in order to achieve its constitutional commitment to preserve the public health of citizens .

More specifically, the state should be committed to providing health services to the most needy areas, and privatization does not mean that the state gives up it’s supposed role in its existence.

About the author

Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed Aljabri is a third year medical student at Hadramout university/ Hadramout governorate/ Yemen Member of Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace {SCORP} in national association of medical student{NAMS}- YEMEN.

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