As a result, as many other places in the world, corruption is present as some people bribe or pass their fellow residents by having personal connections in healthcare. Lithuania is famous for many health centers, resorts and spas that are private and governmentally owned.
Due to recent crisis in Baltics the healthcare became impacted by lowering prices of medicine, which made a huge demand from other Baltic countries as the medicine is twice, and even three times more expensive. Healthcare in Lithuania has general problems like treating before sending to a specialist as the residents rather buy cheap medicine that go to more expensive professionals.
Highlights of Lithuanian healthcare system
Lithuaniaโs healthcare system is funded by National Health Insurance Fund that covers the entire residents of country. Ministry of Health forms a healthcare system policy and sets certain standards and requirements for healthcare. Ministry of health also licenses healthcare service providers and approves any capital investment. Government also has the basic care centers such as polyclinics and small and medium size hospitals. Private sector is growing and important provider of primary healthcare and dental health. Another highlight is that Lithuania has many health professionals such as physicians and nurses.
Biggest problems in Lithuanian healthcare
As many post-communistic countries, Lithuania has many defects to its healthcare system similar to Baltic countries. At first to increase efficiency of healthcare and its services in Lithuania a tool used to keep healthcare system running was decentralization and privatization of institutions, hospitals and health industries. This brings many debates on healthcare policy in the country as this includes issue of private and public healthcare. Approach of private sector healthcare is going in positive direction the accessibility is more fragile than ever.
People are having harder time to adjust in the changes as the mindset of healthcare and its accessibility still stands as early days. Governmentโs biggest challenge is to ensure residents and an equal access, reasonable quality of services and medicine and affordable care in healthcare. To make a change in the problems of accessibility, mindset and healthcare system as whole there needs to be an introduction of market economy practices in healthcare. This includes increased focus on resident needs in healthcare systems and general type of care at the base level.
Overall health of Lithuanians
Population of Lithuania in year 2018 is 2 876 475 that is lower than in 2017 when the population was 2 890 297. Population rates have been decreasing since the year 1995. Lithuaniaโs citizen average life expectancy is 75 years which in comparison to other Baltic counties – Latvia and Estonia low. For women in year 2017 life expectancy rate was 80 years and for men 70 years. Women live longer than men as well as have lower mortality rate in Lithuania.
The number of adults that smoke in Lithuania has decreased since year 2000 for 10 percent after the implementation of stronger tobacco control policy. The rates of mortality are high in comparison to other countries in European Union, even if the healthcare in Lithuania is considered growing more effective. Main causes of death are heart disease and strokes. Lithuania one of the highest death rates from ischemic heart diseases that amounts more that four times than European Union average rate of heart disease death rates.
Birth rate to one Lithuanian woman is 1,70 which is the same is Latvia and in Estonia is lower โ 1,58. Population growth rate has been decreasing with -1.08 at the year 2017. Overall the Lithuanian health is medium โ not great but not the worst in comparison to third world countries and other European countries.
Differences in health state of Lithuania and other EU countries
Main differences in the public health of Lithuania in comparison to European Union countries is the life expectancy rates that is more than 10 years lower than other parts of Europe. Another difference is the alcoholism rate in the country that is one of the highest in Europe. Alcohol consumer deaths are more likely in Lithuania than in other European countries. Lithuania has many hospitals spread evenly through the country that keeps the public healthcare in effective state. This in comparison to other Baltic countries is at good levels of accessibility. Lithuania tries to expand primary care, outpatient day care service system.
Currently the overall health expenditure per capita is half of European Union average rate. Paying on medicine makes the biggest part of out-of-pocket payments in country. In comparison Lithuania tries to improve their healthcare system as well as the mentality of citizens to the healthcare and public health. The rates of death and decease is high in comparison to other European countries.