Outline Ireland's interaction with the European Union in the development of Health Policy - Essay Example

? Ireland's interaction with the European Union in the development of Health Policy Introduction The issues connected with healthcare are not and should not be the problem of one person or one country. They are and should be the common problems. If we find out that our friend is suffering from illness, our primary task is to do our best to help him. The relationship between the countries of the world should be the same. Such integrations as European Union are created with the goal to cooperate and resolve the problems together. Thus, the politics of every country should be directed on mutual cooperation especially if we talk about healthcare. Certainly, the politics of the EU does not imply imposing certain rules on the countries, but it is necessary every state should take into account the common principles, which maintain the cooperation between countries directed on providing each other with help and support. The given paper will try to determine if the heath care politics of Ireland follows the trends set by the European Union after its formation. The healthcare politics of the EU In order to answer the question it is essential to discuss the main principles of the EU concerning health care field. The European Union considers healthcare to be the one of the most important directions of its politics, the main goal of which is to maintain the high level of population health. Each member should follow such policy. The high level of population health can be reached only on the assumption of active cooperation between countries, which are the members of the EU. The main goal of this policy is prevention of illnesses, especially hard ones, and drug dependency. The reasons of such illnesses and peculiarities of spreading are being revealed in order to provide people, especially young generations, with the instructions on the healthy way of life (Bindi, 2010). It is stipulated by the EU Agreement to provide citizens with high level of health protection in the countries of the EU. Countries that are members of the EU coordinate their politics and programs jointly with the European Commission. The EU Council accepts the recommendations or measures by the majority, but the lawmaking process is still implemented by the members separately. Agreements about the formation of European Communities didn’t contain points about common politics in the health care field. Single European Act implied the cooperation in the field of healthcare protection and job safety regulations harmonization. Only the agreement about EU formation helped begin the general health care politics. The general health care politic obliges all members coordinate their inner politic and programs and to inform the European Commission, which is the initiator and coordinator. EU in general and every member support cooperation with third countries and international organizations in the field of health care as all the health care issues are global ones (Bomberg et al, 2012). The joint activity in the field of health care includes a wide set of educational programs and arrangements. A number of issues concerning the health care field forms separate direction of ecological and consumer protection politics. Special attention is paid to the actions that are directed on the struggle with the cancer in the contest of special program “Europe against cancer”. The goal of such actions is to decrease the level of mortality increase the percent of survivors, to improve the general attitude towards personal health, to soften the economic and social aftermaths of cancer. The special program “Europe against cancer” was initiated by the governments of the EU members. The commission has developed a number of special programs, which include the support of European research and educational programs directed on the decrease of sickness rate. The next important program is “Europe against AIDS”. The goal of this program is to stop spreading AIDS and decreasing the level of mortality from infectious diseases as well as to provide sick and HIV-infective individuals with corresponding health care. The important aim is also to prevent the discrimination by providing them with jobs, insurance, credits, hostels and education (Craig, Paul & de Burca, 2007). Taking into account multi-aspect methods of struggle with the drug dependency, the EU politics implements the actions directed at the prevention, data exchange, using experience of other countries, which successfully struggle with drug dependency. Also it includes encouragement, consultation, rehabilitation and social adaptation of drug addicts (Jordan & Adelle). The EU began the third program of actions in one of the traditional fields such as job safety in 1993. The crucial importance of safety, ergonomics, hygiene on the workplaces and dialogue between the directors and trade unions were underlined in the program. Local authorized bodies support inter-countries information and consultation exchange. The main goal is to organize work of medical and research organizations with the main purpose to increase the level of population health instead of simply providing preventing measures. The cooperative work with World Health Organization is directed on improving the level of the health of world population and providing the exchange of the results of the corresponding research held by different countries. (Kaiser, 2007). The Health Care System of Ireland The next step is to overview the Health Care System of Ireland. The Health Care System in Ireland is under governmental financial support. The executive committee of the health care is the governmental structure, the function of which is to manage all health care services of Ireland. The executive committee controls the work of hospitals, social health care, psychiatric, services for elderly and disabled people, services for children and families, civil registrations and civil marriage, the environmental and other spheres. HSE provides people of all ages with a number of services both in hospitals and other health care institutions throughout the country. Such institutions provide a great variety of services beginning with the nursery work, which provides elder individuals, children, those who suffer from hard illnesses or drug addiction with corresponding care and services. They deal with educational work with the population and with the implementation of the complicated surgical operations. The institutions also control the spread of the infectious diseases. In Ireland every person applies to one of such services at least once a year, so they are of paramount importance for the population (McCormick, 2007). The health care politics of Ireland also prescribes special opportunities for foreigners. If a person has been living in the country at least for one year, the HSE provides him with services as a resident, who has full or limited rights for using the health care services. Those people who have been living in Ireland for less than one year should provide the proof that they have intentions to stay in Ireland at least for a year. The family members of this category also should apply to HSE for verifying the rights for using the health care services. Those who have individual medical records belong to the first category. More than 30% of people who live in Ireland have medical records. People who have no medical records belong to the second category. These people can use services that are provided at home, on the local level, in hospitals both for free and paying some fees (Pinder, 2008). It is essential to mention the investigations in the field of health care and the introduction of new methods of treatment which are made under support of World Health Organization (Pinder, 2008). Conclusion The conclusion can be made that the Health Care politics of Ireland pursue the same goals as the health care politics of European Union. Educational work, preventive measures as well as the increasing the level of population health are the top priorities. People who come to Ireland from other countries are also provided with the opportunities to receive high-quality healthcare services that testifies about the orientation on collaboration and mutual assistance. The research in the field of healthcare is implemented on the international level in the close cooperation with international and European health organizations. References Bindi, Federiga, ed. (2010). The Foreign Policy of the European Union: Assessing Europe's Role in the World Brookings Institution Press. The E.U.'s foreign-policy mechanisms and foreign relations, including with its neighbours. Bomberg, Elizabeth, Peterson, John, and Corbett, Richard (2012) eds. The European Union: How Does it Work? (3rd ed), Oxford University Press. Corbett, Richard; Jacobs, Francis; Shackleton, Michael (2011). The European Parliament (8th ed.). London: John Harper Publishing.  Craig, Paul; de Burca, Grainne. (2007). EU Law, Text, Cases and Materials (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.  Jordan, A.J. and Adelle, C. (eds) Environmental Policy in the European Union: Contexts, Actors and Policy Dynamics (3e). Earthscan: London and Sterling, VA. Kaiser, Wolfram. (2007) Christian Democracy and the Origins of European Union, Westview Press McCormick, John (2007). The European Union: Politics and Policies. Westview Press.  Pinder, John, and Usherwood, Simon.(2008). The European Union: A Very Short Introduction Rifkin, Jeremy. (2004). The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream. Jeremy P. Tarcher Read More