Concepts of Social and Socialized Medicine

By Abhishek Udaykumar

What is Social Medicine?

Social Medicine can be defined as the study of man as a social being in his total environment.

It stands on two pillars : Medicine and Sociology

The term Social Medicine was coined by Jules Guerin of France in 1848 who studied relation between social problems and general health.

It is concerned with a body of knowledge embodied in epidemiology and medical needs and medical care of society.

Jules Guerin further divided Social Medicine into 4 parts

1.Social Physiology 2.Social pathology3.Social Hygiene 4.Social Therapy.

The concept of Social Medicine is based on the following

1.Suffering of man is not only due to pathogens but can be due to social causes.

2.The consequences of the disease is not only physical but also social.

3.Comphrensive therapeutics has to include social remedies in addition to medical care.

4.Social services are often required with medical care services.

The field of Social Medicine seeks to:• understand how social and economic

conditions impact health, disease and the practice of medicine and

• foster conditions in which this understanding can lead to a healthier society.

Socialized Medicine

Socialized Medicine is a term used to describe and discuss systems of universal health care : medical and hospital care for all at a nominal cost by means of government regulation of health care and subsidies derived from taxation.

Pros of Socialized Medicine

• 1.Affordability Socialized medicine makes healthcare

affordable. Those who don’t have enough spare money, those living below the poverty line or even the middle class families that cannot always bear the healthcare costs without causing a dent in their wallet can buy subsidized medicines.

2. Uniformity every citizen enjoys the same standard of

health care irrespective of economic status.

3.Provides health care for all.

cons

• 1.Does not guarantee best health care facilities.

• 2.Decreases innovation.• 3.Increased tax burden for general population.

Countries with Socialized Medicine

Socialized Medicine in India

• Government-sponsored Health Insurance schemes (GSHISs) are not new to India, but surely the evolution has been slow.

Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

schemes are in vogue since decades.

• In the last decade, a few states have successfully launched health insurance schemes:

• AarogyaSri (Andhra Pradesh)• Vajpayee Arogyashri (Karnataka)• The Chief Minister Comprehensive Health

Insurance (Tamil Nadu) • RSBY Plus (Himachal Pradesh).

• National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM) is likely to be launched in coming days

• National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM) is one example of Government-sponsored Health Insurance schemes (GSHISs).

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