Price of Imaging Tests and Access of Patients to Modern Health Care Facilities across the Developing and Better-Off Countries:

A Comparative Study

Abstract

Modern health care facilities like radiography, Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are important for early diagnosis and evaluation of musculoskeletal and central nervous system diseases. But due to high prices of modern diagnostic tests in the developing country the peoples of low-income group cannot access to the modern health care facilities. For illustration, a patient of a developing country (Bangladesh) has to pay for MRI and CT tests 100.43 and 60.70 dollars respectively whose per capita income is 958 dollars. A patient of better-off country (Japan) has to pay 39.62 and 15.17 dollars for MRI and CT of same tests whose per capita income is 38,634 dollars. Through this study the authors recommend effective health policy, research and telemedicine should bring in the mainstream of government health policy in the developing country, for the dissemination of specialist’s advice in the rural area, in order to a greater access of the low-income peoples to health care facilities.