Assignment on Public Health Services

1Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH
Public Health
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

2PUBLIC HEALTH
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Description of analytical framework..........................................................................................4
Comparison of types of services in complimentary medicine between two countries in table
form............................................................................................................................................5
Comparison of complementary medicine integration with primary care services in table form
....................................................................................................................................................9
Description of complimentary medicinal system arranegment in two countries.....................12
Reasons for inter-country similarities and differences.............................................................14
Recommendation......................................................................................................................16
Conclusion................................................................................................................................18
References................................................................................................................................20

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Introduction
The emerging trend of shift in nature and course of diseases and an aging population
have contributed to the need of therapeutic approaches that can provide comprehensive form
of treatment. Complementary medicine refers to the group of diagnostic and therapeutic
disciplines that when applied in adjunct with conventional medicines promotes patient
wellbeign and health1. A rich pool of research indicates that the western medicine arena does
not rely on this form of therapeutics. It can be highlighted that complementary medicines,
such as aromatherapy and meditation, encompasse a diverse range of systems and practices of
heathcare that have not been embraced by the mainstream western medicine for numerous
reasons embedded in social, cultural and economic systems. Based on this fact it can be
stated that successful and adequate complimentary medicinal system in health service
delivery still remains challenging2.
The complimentary medicinal system arrangement in health service delivery in Sri
Lanka and Australia are distinct from each other and set a suitable background for
undertaking a comparison between the two. Below are the statistics of the two countries that
set the plartform for a comparison between the two3.
Sri Lanka Australia
Area 65,610 square kilometers 7,692,024 square kilometers
Population 21,203,000 as per 2016
estimate
23,401,892 as per 2016
estimate
1Posadzki P, Watson LK, Alotaibi A, Ernst E. Prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM) by patients/consumers in the UK: systematic review of surveys. Clinical Medicine. 2013 Apr
1;13(2):126-31.
2 Belletti G, Shorofi SA, Arbon P, Dal Molin A. Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Italian Validation of
a Questionnaire on Nurses' Personal and Professional Use, Knowledge, and Attitudes. Journal of Nursing
Measurement. 2017 Aug 1;25(2):292-304
3 Lutz W, Butz WP, Samir KE, editors. World Population & Human Capital in the Twenty-First Century: An
Overview. Oxford University Press; 2017 Sep 21.

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Life expectancy 77.9 years at birth 79.5 years at birth
Literacy rate 92.5% 99%
GDP Total $ 278.415 billion as per
2017 estimate
Total $1.39 trillion aas per
2017 estimate
Income group Upper Middle Income High income country
Human development index 0.757 in 2014 0.939 in 2015
The present paper is a comparative analysis of the complimentary medicinal system
arrangement with typical primary care services in Sri Lanka and Australia. The paper has a
brief section on the analytical framework that would be undertaken for the analysis. The next
section would have a comparison between the types of services provided in complimentary
medicine by these two countries. The subsequent part of the paper would highlight the
differences in complimentary medicine integration with primary care services in these two
countries. Reasons for inter-country similarities and differences would be discussed with the
help of relevant contextual ideas. Recommendations for both countries would be provided
thereafter with a key focus on changes in economic models and policy reforms for better care
service delivery. A logical conclusion of the complete paper would bring an end to the paper.
Description of analytical framework
The comparison of the types of services in complementary medicine and of the
complementary medicinal integration with primary care services in the two countries Sri
Lanka and Australia is to be done based on a strong foundation. In this regard it would be
beneficial to follow a framework that would guide the analysis in a flawless manner4. For
comparing the types of services delivered in complimentary medicine, a comparison of the
costs, policies, quality of service delivery and outcomes would be analysed. For comparing
the integration of the complimentary medicinal arrangement into primary care services, it
4 McCormack B, van Dulmen S, Eide H, Skovdahl K, Eide T. Person‐Centredness in Healthcare Policy, Practice
and Research. Person‐Centred Healthcare Research. 2017 Jul 25:3-17.

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would be advisable to analyse the acceptability, equity and impact on access to healthcare
services. Key insights on these particular aspects would be drawn after reviewing the host of
rich literature and presented in a tabular manner.
Comparison of types of services in complimentary medicine between two countries in
table form
Sri Lanka Australia
Costs The health sector of the country
has contributed to a considerable
extent to the economic
development of the country. The
country is placed at an advanced
position that many other
countries have not been able to
acquire. The healthcare sector
has gained achievements that
have been financed through the
combination of out-of-pocket
payments and general taxation.
The different sources of
healthcare funding include five
main methods of funding. These
are general taxation to the
municipality, counry or state;
social health insurance; private
or voluntary health insurance;
Private health insurance ancillary
cover complementary therapies. In
the year 2005, 61% of patients
received ancillary coverage. The
majority of the public health care
services are provided by the
government which is funded by the
combination of different payment
systems of the government. States
and territories also contribute form
their fiscal resources6

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out of pocket payments and
donations to charities. The
noteworthy factor is that the
heath care system of the country
consists of both public and
private care services; however
the government plays the major
role in acting as the main
healthcare provider. Though the
care system has free services at
many ends, it deviates from the
quality of care required5.
Policy As per the National Essential
Medicines list of the country,
categories of medicines are
divided into essential and
complementary levels. The
national DRA has updated the
national EML which has a list of
core essential and
complementary drugs. The
The potential of complementary
medicine to combat a wide range of
national economic and health
priorities has been reinforced by the
leading focus being placed by
Government n prevention,
intervention and self-care. All of
these align with the complementary
medicine approach. The increasing
5 Health care financing in sri lanka: challenges and alternatives. Institute of policy studies of sri lanka; 2016.
6 Bensoussan A, Myers S, Cooke M, Cheras P. Complementary Medicine Research a
snapshot. The NSW Ministry for Science & Medical Research; 2005.