MADRID – Covid-19 has put the healthcare systems of all economies in the world to the test. The weak spots are becoming visible and the measures are taking their toll on healthcare in Spain. Spanish healthcare is no longer one of the best in the world.
Spain drops to 15th place
This is the conclusion of the United States financial services company Bloomberg. Before the corona crisis, Spain was fourth on the list of the best healthcare systems in the world. Due to the corona pandemic and all the measures taken in Spain, Spain has now even disappeared from the top 10. According to the Bloomberg ranking that was drawn up at the end of 2020, Spain has dropped no fewer than 11 places and ended up in 15th place.
Several factors contribute to healthcare systems ranking
To measure the quality of health systems in the world´s 57 economies, Bloomberg takes into account the average life expectancy in a country and the average expenditure on healthcare. Economic factors and the mortality rate also determine the formation of the rankings.
Asian countries are more resistant to the corona crisis than Western countries
The article on Bloomberg’s website provides the full rankings of the health systems of all economies. In general, Western countries lose out to Asian countries. Economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea dominate the first places in this ranking. Although Spain has dropped 11 places, thecountry is certainly not doing badly compared to other European countries. For example, the Netherlands is in 26th place and Belgium is in 36th place.
Strict measures ensure better healthcare systems
Noteworthy are economies such as New Zealand and China that have risen significantly in this ranking. Although New they are not in the top three, they have risen 10 and 13 places respectively in this ranking. According to Bloomberg, this is due to the strict measures that both governments have taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Expenditure on healthcare in Spain extremely high
One of the shortcomings that has come to light within the Spanish healthcare system is the financing of the system. Before the pandemic, Spain managed to cut health care spending by 20% in 2019. According to Bloomberg calculations, the average expenditure on health care in Spain is currently €2,080 per inhabitant. An amount that is still far from the expenditure in the better health care systems such as in Taiwan (€1,280) or China (€366).
