Healthcare Takes Centre Stage At Forum
By Danial Norjidi
Thursday, 27 September 2012
A hallmark of every great nation is when it is able to recognise and apply continuous improvement to its existing systems
Bandar Seri Begawan – Healthcare took centre stage yesterday at the Radisson Hotel as Asia Inc Forum, in partnership with the Embassy of the United States in Brunei Darussalam, convened the first ever Health Forum.
Themed “Preparing for the Evolving Needs of Brunei’s Healthcare”, the forum brought together 80 health services and industry stakeholders, and began with remarks from Mr Daniel Shields, the US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.
“Today, what is being shared and discussed is not only relevant, but also critical in an ever-changing and dynamic industry like healthcare,” he said.
He expressed his hope that the forum would bring not only a convergence of ideas, best practices and vision on the healthcare industry, but also a networking opportunity and a platform for continued dialogue.
“A hallmark of every great nation is when it is able to recognise and apply continuous improvement to its existing systems,” he added. “The US Embassy is glad to be able to partner with Asia Inc Forum in this endeavour to continue the discussion on healthcare.”
The forum also saw Hj Awg Saiful Bahri bin Hj Awg Mansor, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health presenting a keynote address as the guest of honour.
He said that Brunei provides universal coverage of healthcare to the entire population and that emphasis has been given to the development of a healthcare system that is based on primary healthcare to attain the target of ‘health for all’.
This, he continued, is aimed at the provision of a wide range of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare and support services to meet the needs of the population. He also mentioned in his speech that Brunei has not been spared modern day challenges.
“The rise of NCDs (non-communicable diseases) has also affected our small nation,” he said. “In the 1980’s, the country began to face a change in the health patterns of the population particularly in terms of mortality, with chronic NCDs becoming the main causes of death among adults.”
He said that the alarming factor of this trend is that NCDs also affect adults at their productive age and increases the chance of premature death and loss in the quality of life due to disabilities.
The first four leading causes of mortality in 2011, he mentioned, are cancer, heart diseases, diabetes mellitus and cerebrovascular diseases, which account for 52 per cent of 1,235 of all deaths in the country.
“The average hospital in-patient morbidity rate per year since 2002 was 402 for cancer; 612 for heart disease; 731 for diabetes; 145 for cerebrovascular diseases; and 678 for hypertensive disease. Hypertensive disease and diabetes are among the leading causes of both hospital and community health centre outpatient morbidity.”
The permanent secretary also pointed out that, over the years, the country has been shifting its policies towards disease prevention and health promotion from cure and rehabilitation.
He added, however, that the success and the effectiveness of such policies are still far ahead to measure and the increase and decrease in the trends of some major non-communicable diseases as well as behavioural of lifestyle risk factors are yet to be proven.
“An increase in chronic NCDs may lead to an increase in premature deaths and people living with poor health conditions and disabilities especially among the ageing population,” he said, adding that socioeconomic impacts of NCDs are slowing down the progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“On the other hand, although infectious or communicable diseases are not the leading causes of death in the country, its significant threat to human health and international security has made prevention and control of the diseases as a fundamental public health function in the national health system.”
He highlighted that sustainable resources are required to improve the country’s preparedness against the epidemic or outbreak of infectious diseases which contributes considerably to healthcare costs.
Brunei keeps up with the monitoring and control of some of the notifiable infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, he said, to name a few, but added that they must not be complacent with the current surveillance systems and must maintain preparedness against any possible outcome.
Yesterday’s forum also featured a special guest speaker – Dr Harry Harris, the Founder and President of HealthCare California, one of the largest home health agencies in California that works cooperatively with other healthcare providers such as home medical equipment companies and home care agencies, to provide patients access to quality health care.
In his presentation, ‘Key Trends in Healthcare: How Can Brunei Be Ready?’, Dr Harris stressed that global populations are ageing at an alarming rate and that senior citizens are placing a huge burden on health care systems as life expectancy continues to increase.
In the US alone, about 76 million baby boomers turned 65 in 2011, and moreover, healthcare costs throughout the world are rising with a global spending of US$5.8 billion annually.
Healthcare costs in the US amount to about 18 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) with current costs estimated to be at US$2.8 trillion, and by 2016, estimates exceed US$3.6 trillion.
“There will be an increase in the use of advanced medical technology along with electronic health records,” he said.
“These introductions will not only curtain costs by reducing redundant testing and services, but they will also provide for better individual healthcare outcomes.”
Dr Harris also highlighted that, for the near term, healthcare costs will continue to rise, especially in countries where there is little or no cost control.
“In emerging nations, the amount will increase with economic affluence along with more citizen demands,” he said. “In developed nations, including Brunei, cost containment will be a key item on the agenda as well as providing enhanced healthcare to ensure early detection of disease and increase wellness for citizens.”
Dr Hjh Rahmah, Director-General of Medical Services, presented a snapshot on public healthcare before taking part in the forum’s conclusion – a dialogue with Dr Harris, moderated by Asia Inc Forum’s Programme Manager, Delwin Keasberry.
–Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Source: http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/Local-News/healthcare-takes-centre-stage-at-forum.html