The Health System

Abstract

The paper proposes a comprehensive view of the health system, including the health care subsystem, calling selectively (for space reasons) on paradigms developed by von Bertallanffy in his General Systems theory, further developed for Living Systems by James Grier. The article posits that the “natural” sys- tem, that is before the intervention of the care subsystem is equally important for the health status of the population-citizenry and its somatic response capability, which is a main conditioning factor along with the habitat, understood in a triple geo-bio-sociocultural dimension. Culture intervenes through its value -scale, the hegelian “zeitgeist” as do citizen’s participation and education levels. In the health care subsystem the main factor is the definition of a homogeneous function/objective, centered in a dynamic, steady state concept of health, as well as a proper degree of integration between the different components and subsystems. Splitting the system’s objectives to accommodate commercial goals, a characteristic of private sector operations, weakens efficiency and efficacy, while determining structural repercussions by segmenting the citizenship to be cared after and creating a two-speeds health system, which will strengthen structural inequity. The problem is compounded by the priority given to the fi- nancial component of the care system which, instead of being integrated to the health system, does so with the societal financial system whose priority is maximization of money returns and not global and maximized coverage to the citizens.