Differences Between Government and Private Hospitals

In many countries, controversy surrounds the roles of government and the private hospitals. While bigger states such as The United Kingdom and Germany have many government hospitals that could really overcome the demands for the patients. On the other hands, some poorer countries, the government hospitals are really very poor. In these hospitals the patient must buy his medications from the nearby pharmacies.

A private hospital is a hospital owned by company. This practice is very common in the United States and Australia. In the United Kingdom, private hospitals are distinguished from the National Health Service (NHS) institutions that provide health care free at the point of use for the patient.

A government hospital also known as public hospital is a hospital which is owned by a government and receives government funding. This type of hospital provides medical care free of charge, the cost of which is covered by the funding the hospital receives from the government.

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The government hospitals is a good healthcare that is available to all, regardless of their wealth. It is not just meets the needs of everyone but it also free at the point of delivery. However, the services provided by the government hospitals is the first come first served. The Doctors could treat those who were in most need of treatment and were suffering from the most serious illness. The problems for this are that some patients have to wait along time.

Not just the government hospitals waiting lists are so long that patients could be faced with an anxious and possibly painful wait of many months, before gaining admission. But when the patient is given a date it will be one that suits the hospital and not the patient. On the other hand, in the private sector patients can get immediate admission for non-life threatening operations. In addition, patients can choose when they want to be seen, opting for surgery when it fits in with their job or holidays.

In addition to the patients' choice of when they want to be seen, in the private hospitals they also have other choices such as choosing which consultant that is going to be carrying out there operation. They have no restrictions of visiting hours along with extras such as individual rooms with telephones, satellite television, en-suite bathrooms and a wide variety of meals to choose from.

The population is growing larger and living longer, which is putting extra, demands on the government hospitals in terms of both time and costs. Either increasing spending on the government hospitals or encouraging more people to go private can overcome the above limitations.

Private hospitals give patients options for coverage and a choice of physicians. Patients can choose their preferred hospital or clinic with private health care. Private hospitals care allows patients to be seen promptly. Private hospitals reduce the government’s share of the health care burden.

There are many advantages of using private hospitals rather than the government hospitals.

Private hospitals have a profit incentive to cut costs and maintain a good service, which is essential to attracting customers.

Private hospitals also face competition which is another reason for better quality services. These factors are absent in government public services.

On the other hand private hospitals it reduces the money the government pays to the government hospitals. It will also reduce the waiting lists.

Other benefits for the private hospitals are that there will be no queues. Although waiting times on the government hospitals have improved in recent years because of the new technology, you will still have to wait for at least a couple of weeks for treatment but you will not have to wait this long for private treatment. In the private hospitals if the worst happens, your treatment will be as quick as it can be. You can also choose your consultant and where you want to be treated when using private hospitals.

Using the private hospitals you do not have to worry about being on a mixed-gender ward. Depending on your policy, you may have a private bathroom. The visiting hours are also unrestricted. You will also be likely to be seen by the same consultant throughout your treatment.

Despite the above advantages for the private hospitals there are also many disadvantages. These include depending on your policy and any previous medical conditions, but most policies only cover short-term illness or injury. With so many companies offering private hospitals, it is difficult to know which option would best suit your needs. Because of this you get what you pay for: the more cover you want, the higher your premium will be. As you cannot predict illness, you might develop a condition that is not covered when using the private hospitals. Private hospitals might not have the same depth of expertise found in teams within the government hospitals.

Even thought the private hospitals offer better facilities they are extremely costly so only wealthy patients gets admitted if compared with the government hospitals.

In public hospitals there are qualified while private hospital offers some times better health care treatment.

In a private hospital the equipments are of standard quality and generally there is risk for the patient since a large number of people looks after a single patient. In a public hospital, the case may be entirely different. There may be a single or no person at all to be looking after the sick patient.

Government hospitals are funded by the government and therefore cannot turn away patients. On the other hand the private hospitals are privately funded and make their own rules. Because of this the private hospitals reject uninsured patients.

The government hospitals are funded by the government so that they are there to help the poor and anyone who might have health problems while private hospital is not bound by the government to help the poor but they are better equipped and better medical care.

The government hospitals receive government assistance, and therefore are required to treat people regardless of their ability to pay while the private hospitals do not receive such assistance, and therefore are better suited only those who can afford to go.

Sometimes the government hospitals can offer a greater choice of equipment than the private hospitals, as the money needed for many treatments and procedures is very expensive. Private hospitals may struggle to purchase or loan all the screening equipment they need to offer a full service so occasionally the private patient may need to be treated in the government hospital in order to receive the care they require.

As the private hospitals have smaller equipment than that of the government hospitals, they can often afford to update their smaller items of equipment fairly frequently something that the government hospitals might struggle to do.

The private hospitals have little scope to perform immediate life-saving operations but it may be able to carry out semi-urgent procedures depending on the surgeon's availability and amount of theatre time available. On the other hand the government hospitals are highly equipped to manage any form of emergency surgery.

Many patients believe that the government hospitals often have bad reputation in terms of medical attention. Dormitory style rooms rather than private hotel rooms are normal in the government hospitals but you will usually get the medical attention you need. Sometimes, for major medical procedures, a private hospital will ship you off to a government hospital anyway.

In poorer countries, the government hospitals are really too bad. Some of them might not have any medicines at all. The patient has to buy them from nearby pharmacies. Even worse than that sometimes there might not be any doctor at all who is on duty. The problem that will result this is that the patient will have to choices. The patient has to go to Private hospital or unfortunately, he has to suffer for his diseases.

Conclusion

There are several differences between the government and private hospitals, some of which have been outlined above.

Although some private hospitals provide extensive cover for eligible cancer treatment including out-patient consultations, diagnostic tests and therapies as well quality treatment with a choice of consultants and specialists and patient privacy in a clean and comfortable environment, usually with an en-suite room and 24 hour help line offering medical information and guidance, many patients might not afford to pay for such private hospitals. But, as the government hospitals are funded by the government and can go there for treatment any patient regardless of their wealth.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that all parties i.e. government and private hospitals should work together to quality healthcare system.

When you have health problems, you are concerned a lot where to pursue your medical practice. You can choose between a private hospital and government hospital. But before you make a decision, you have to consider your priorities. If you can go to the government hospital and you have the chance to see the doctor, then it is advisable that you go there. This is because the government hospitals are funded and managed by the government and/or local authorities. They know better what is good for there citizens. However, if you do not lucky to see the doctor and you should go into a waiting list, then you should consider going to private hospital otherwise, your health problem might increase and reaches where it is out of help.