Over the years, many countries around the world have developed various measures to encourage people to prioritize their health. One of these measures is the establishment of public hospitals. Compared to private hospitals, public hospitals are less expensive (affordable.) The reason why they are this way is so citizens can afford them. Now, imagine the government of your country implementing a compulsory medical checkup, do you think it’d favour the citizens or be a burden to them? The concept is simple- just like it is mandatory for citizens to pay taxes or electricity bills, this concept mandates individuals to undergo regular medical checkups, to ensure that they live a healthy life.
For today’s Hive Learner’s edition, we are asked to discuss mandatory medical checkups. Would it be a good idea to make medical checkups compulsory? Imagine a country where people are mandated to go for regular checkups and failure to do this would result in being fined and if you're unable to pay the fine, you'll be jailed. Seems like a dictator's rule, right? On the surface level, this system seems like a good and positive idea, after all, it is all for the sake of the citizens. The citizens would be the ones enjoying and living a healthy life if they adhered to the rule of mandatory checkups. However, taking a closer look, this system also has disadvantages. The concept of mandatory checkups is like a double-edged sword- on one edge are the advantages, and on the other are the disadvantages.
Although the approach might not be convenient, the reason behind mandatory check-ups is to encourage people to prioritize their physical and mental health. Humans can sometimes be unconcerned about their health, especially when they lack the resources to seek treatment at a hospital. While some individuals are not concerned about their health at all, others are concerned but lack the resources to take the necessary steps. My mom, a nurse, has shared with me firsthand experiences of people seeking medical attention at the last minute. As the saying goes, 'health is wealth,' and it should be taken seriously. Many people are aware of their health issues but choose not to visit the hospital for various reasons. One of the aims of mandatory health check-ups is to encourage these individuals to take proactive steps towards their health.
One of the advantages of this system is early detection of diseases and prevention. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,”- Benjamin Franklin. Would you prefer to get rid of an underlying illness before it becomes a big deal or would you allow it to spread and affect your organs before you do something about it? The former is a much better approach, right? Let’s use cancer and diabetes as a case study. I'm not a health expert, but I know a few things about these diseases. There is no cure for cancer and diabetes. However, patients can be placed on drugs (or other methods) to make them live longer. It all narrows down to the early detection of these diseases. For example, a person who does their sugar level frequently notices the signs and symptoms of diabetes and acts on it immediately, and a person who notices the symptoms, but chooses not to do anything about it until it gets to a serious stage. Definitely, it’d be easier to treat the former because the disease is yet to go deeper than the latter.
What about the financial cost involved? Not only do frequent medical checkups prevent diseases, but they also help reduce the financial burden. When you visit your doctor early, they can detect health issues early before they become serious. This means that you can get treated right away or at least proffer solutions to help you stay healthy, which costs less than waiting till the problems get worse. The doctor might just tell you to take fruits, drink a lot of water, and exercise daily, which is cheaper than having to go to the hospital for emergency treatment when it becomes serious.
Having established the advantages of compulsory medical checkups, what are the disadvantages? The biggest disadvantage of this system comes with the threat of penalties. As I mentioned above, individuals are mandated to go for frequent medical checkups and failure to adhere to this rule would result in penalties- fines or jail time. This system would be problematic for poor people and low-income earners. Many people out there are struggling to put food on their tables and satisfy their needs- basically, food and shelter. Most times, it is not that these people do not care about their health, but they don’t have the financial capacity to visit the hospital and get treated. I'm sure if they had the resources, many people would take their health seriously.
In summary, the reason behind compulsory medical checkups is obviously positive. However, the approach is flawed. While it is good to encourage people to take their health seriously by undergoing frequent medical check-ups, imposing fines or imprisonment is not the right approach to achieve this goal.
Thanks for reading.
Posted Using INLEO
