Well , not surprisingly, the health situation is abysmal.. the government is still struggling to provide basic healthcare facilities in some regions.

Public hospitals are badly run, very often ruled by corrupt doctors and nurses that treat the gov hospital as their little kingdom. Three of my father's siblings are doctors. And they see the inequities of the local healthcare system here every day.

However considering the financial, political and social problems the country faces, it is not at all surprising that the medical sector struggles with the same problems.

And it is very difficult to quantify healthcare expenditures. The majority of the country doesn't earn in a month what an appendectomy costs at a mediocre hospital.

I would not compare the medical infrastructure of a developed nation with an underdveloped one. I would however compare it to the scandinavian models, which in my opinion the the most fantastically run in the world.

Many people always point to long waiting lines.. well long lines only form where a large number of people have the possibility to be treated. In a place where many might not be able to afford or might not be able to afford treatment OBVIOUSLY the waiting times will be shorter. Were the maerican model committd to providing healthcare to ALL it would be faced with the same problems.. not because of inefficiency but rather due to the sheer volume of people needing treatment.

I have lived in london for a while and suffered under the inequities of the NHS in ghettos of east london ( given the locality , not surprising that they found themselves overwhelmed time and again).. but whatever it may be, however long the lines may be, at least i was never sent home saying i was not eligible for treatment.

FOr that reason alone i would rather live in a nation with an overburdened health system that committs to take care of ALL people, rather than a less burdened system that decides your right to be healthy based on your pocketbook or your insurance "plan" ( as if anybody ever PLANS to be sick )