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1. A progressive approach to health care:
  a.
Health care is the basic requirement, therefore it must be provided to people according to their medical needs and not their financial or social status.
  b.
The welfare of the patient must be the principal concern of health care practitioners, irrespective of the system of medicine used to treat the patient.
  c.
Social service must be accepted as the main aim of the medical profession. Under no circumstances should the practice of medicine be categorized as a business.
  d.

A new, progressive philosophy of health care needs to be developed, one which encompasses all aspects of the human personality, reflects a humanistic appreciation of people’s medical needs, and scientifically integrates various medical systems.

  e.
A uniform set of medical ethical standards and professional guidelines needs to be developed and adopted throughout the country.
     
2. A multi-disciplinary system of health care:
  a.
A multi-disciplinary approach to health care should be adopted.
  b.

Naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc., should have the same status as allopathy.

  c.
Hospital patients should be treated according to the system of medicine best suited to their medical needs, whether it is allopathy, naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.
  d.

Medical centers and health maintenance clinics also should adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to health care.

     
3. Education and training:
  a.
A progressive philosophy of health care and the values which reflect it should be taught during medical training.
  b.
A multi-disciplinary approach to health care also should be taught during medical training.
  c.

The first two years of training should be the same for all medical students, regardless of the system of medicine in which they propose to specialize.

  d.
The uniform set of medical standards and professional guidelines also should be taught during medical training.
     
4. The standard of health care practitioners:
  a. Health care practitioners must be held to the highest professional standards.
  b. They must be imbued with universal ethical values and a sense of selfless service.
  c. They also must follow the uniform set of medical ethical standards and professional guidelines.
  d.

Only those health care practitioners who have demonstrated both the management skills and the highest standards of personal and professional conduct should be allowed to take administrative positions within the health care system.

     
5. Professional registration:
  a.
Health care practitioners, irrespective of their field of practice, should be required to have only one national certificate of registration which would entitle them to practice in any state or territory in the country.
  b.

The current requirement of separate state registrations for medical practitioners should be abolished immediately

     
6. A national medical board:
  a.
A national medical board which is independent of the government should be established to oversee all health care matters.
  b.
The board should comprise outstanding representatives of all the medical systems currently being practiced in World.
  c.
It should have the authority to set uniform medical education and training standards, uniform medical ethical standards and uniform medical guidelines for professional standards and standards of conduct for all health care practitioners.
  d.
The national board also should oversee the standard of health care and the staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes.
  e.
It should have the authority to establish sub-boards as and when required to carry out specific duties .For example, if necessary it could establish a national hospital board to ensure that the standard of health care in and the service provided by hospitals are uniform throughout the whole country.
  f.

It also must have the authority to take whatever steps necessary to maintain the highest standards of health care.

     
7. The management of health care:
  a.
Health care should be made the responsibility of the federal government. It should be regulated by the federal government, not the state or territory governments.
  b.
The management of health care by corporations should be opposed. World should not adopt a US-style HMO (Health Management Organization) system.
  c.
Health care practices, medical centers and health maintenance clinics employing three or more health care practitioners should be run as service cooperatives, owned and managed by the health care practitioners themselves.
  d.
Hospitals and nursing homes should be structured as autonomous bodies, independent of the government. Each hospital or nursing home should be managed by a board of health care practitioners.
  e.
The federal government should have the responsibility for financing the hospital systems. Financing the hospital system should not be the responsibility of the state or territory governments.
  f.
Each hospital and nursing home must have an independent annual audit, and the results must be made available to the public.
  g.
The role of local governments in providing specific health care services should be increased. In particular, local governments should play a greater role in aged care.
  h.

Local governments and local communities should work together to attract health care practitioners to and retain the health care practitioners already working in remote areas.

     
8. Health insurance:
  a.
Medicare should be transformed into a national health insurance cooperative which is run independently of the government.
  b.
Health insurance should be compulsory, and should cover both treatment by health care practitioners and hospital care.
  c.
The Medicare levy (currently set at 1.25% of a person’s wage or salary) should remain, and it should be paid directly to the national health insurance cooperative. The levy should be sufficient to cover the cost of both community health care and the hospital system.
  d.
All existing private health insurers should merge with the national health insurance cooperative.
  e.

The national health insurance cooperative must have an independent annual audit, and the results must be made available to the public.

     
9. Medical indemnity and litigation:
  a.
The issue of medical indemnity and litigation should be carefully examined to ensure that the health care practitioners and patients are protected.
  b.
Exactly what constitutes medical negligence should be clearly defined so that the rights of both health care practitioners and patients are protected and excessive litigation is avoided.
  c.
Medical insurance for health care practitioners should be provided by medical insurance cooperatives which are owned by the health care practitioners themselves.
  d.
In the event of litigation against a health care practitioner or medical institution which results in compensation, the compensation should not be paid out in a lump sum amount but in weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly installments. If necessary, a trust fund should be established for the purpose.
   

 

10. Worker’s compensation:
  a.
National work-cover legislation should be enacted to protect to protect workers throughout World in the event that they are hurt as a result of workplace accidents. Such legislation should replace the existing state laws.
  b.
The legislation should also establish a new system of worker’s compensation whereby medical assessment rather than litigation determines the veracity of compensation claims.
  c.

In event of compensation payment, the compensation should not be paid out in a lump sum amount but in weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly installments. If necessary, a trust fund should be established for the purpose.

     
11. Research and Development:
  a. Undertaking medical research and development should be the responsibility of universities, hospitals, and research and development service cooperatives.
  b. Funding medical research and development should be the responsibility of the federal and state governments. If necessary, they should establish autonomous bodies to undertake medical research and development
  c. Medical research and development should be taken out of the hands of pharmaceutical companies and private enterprise.
  d. Research and development should be conducted into all systems of medicine.
   

 

12. The production and distribution of medicines:
  a.
Medicines should be produced by autonomous bodies, independent of the state or federal government, or by producers’ cooperatives.
  b.
Medicines should be distributed by either autonomous bodies or consumers’ cooperatives.
  c.

The production and distribution of medicines should not be in the hands of private enterprise.

     
13. Community health care:
  a. As far as practical, the elderly should be encouraged to live in their own homes.
  b.
People should be able to receive medical care at home by their health care practitioners instead of spending extended periods in hospital.
  c.
Community nursing services should be expanded in order to treat as many people as possible in their own homes.
  d.
Home births should be encouraged, and home birth midwives should be provided with adequate health insurance.
  e.

Knowledge regarding health care and preventative medicine should be taught in schools as part of a comprehensive health care syllabus.

     
14. Drug and alcohol dependence:
  a. Drug and alcohol dependence should be viewed as a medical problem and not as a criminal offence.
  b. Those dependent on alcohol and drugs must be cured of their medical problem and not incarcerated in jail.
  c.
Education regarding the dangers of drug and alcohol dependence should be taught in schools as part of a comprehensive health care syllabus.
     
15. Patients’ and medical records:
  a. A patient’s medical records must remain the personal property of the patient.
  b.

Patients must have the right to access their medical records and secure copies of them upon request. Copies of personal medical records should be free of cost.

  c.
A patient’s medical records may be shared among medical practitioners, but they may not be made available to other parties without the signed consent of the patient.
   

 

16. Medical aid:
  a. World should support the health care programs by the World Health Organization.
  b.
World should provide health care aid to countries facing health crises or epidemics, such as those African countries currently facing an AIDS epidemic.
  c.

World also should provide special medical assistance to those countries in the Asia-Pacific region facing medical problems.

     
17. The approval of new medicines:
  a.
Detailed research must be undertaken and extensive trials must be satisfactorily completed before new medicines are approved for use.
  b.
Great care must be taken during the approval process for new medicines to ensure that they have minimum adverse side-effects.
  c.

If approved medicines have unintended adverse side-effects, both the maker and the approval agency will have to be held accountable.

     
18. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme:
  a.
Only medicines which save lives or improve the quality of a patient’s life in cases of incurabledisease should be included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme.
  b. Medicines which do not meet this criterion should not be included.
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