Karrel Kim P.

Cane, RN
Nursing Service Administration

August 30, 2014

ASEAN Roadmap for Integration of the Healthcare Sector

Intergovernmental organizations are very difficult to manage. Aside from
preparations for a more complex and functioning system of governance, leaders should
also strive to integrate or combine aspects such as economics, politics, culture and
societies. Integration of these governmental organizations is a challenge because
governments tend to be protective of course of their nations interest which causes
uncertainty if policies that will be created will be equality beneficial to all parties.
Among the numerous factors that the ASEAN would like to integrate is its
Healthcare industry. Other factors like politics, economics and culture, healthcare would
be a vital in shaping the competition of ASEAN within and internationally. Considering
that most of the members of the ASEAN community are third world or developing
countries, Healthcare has been an issue with its standard, so competition that the
integration will provide will benefit the consumers with developments in healthcare
technology, quality in its services, internationally competitive professionals, and possible
low prices. The roadmap will serve as a guideline that will help ASEAN members on
how to achieve a more successful integration of healthcare. The perspective that the
roadmap suggest is that, members should have a more consensual standard that every
member should follow, an effective process of registration and enlistment as well as
assessment, and a more balanced policies that will be favorable to all parties.
Among the guidelines that the roadmap suggest is the adaptation and creation of
internationally accepted standards, suggesting that the ASEAN should open its doors to
the international community for international market competition. Are they suggesting
that the so called international standard is the standard that should be followed? Is it not
they who made the standard themselves? By adopting the so called international
standard, we are forcing our markets to be at the same level as them thus putting
pressure on the industry and forcing them to costly measures. Can we not create a
standard that is of ASEAN quality? By doing so will make the ASEAN market more
distinctive and thus will provide a brand new approach to healthcare services. We must
first accept the fact that we are Asians and are in fact culturally different with other
international communities, in the fulfillment thereof; we can create a more idiosyncratic
quality of healthcare that is of ASEAN quality.

With regards to entry of non-ASEAN countries to the ASEAN market, the

roadmap suggests a more loose restriction on some certain aspects of the Healthcare
sector. Pharmaceutical products, either inputs or outputs are usually of western origin,
so manufacturing companies here in the ASEAN imports materials for the production.
The roadmap suggest that because of the exorbitant inputs and outputs of
pharmaceutical products that is being imported from non-ASEAN members, the ASEAN
should create policies that encourage and gives incentives to make way for international
competition. But why should we give way for them instead? Do we need them more
than they need us? International market competition should not be discouraged but
rather be prepared with because of its inevitability. We should apply protectionist
policies that will safeguard ASEAN market before opening the doors for the world
market. Opening the doors early for the world market will definitely threaten the stability
of the ASEAN economy and may result to the dissolution of the organization. We
prepare and wait for the opportune time that we are already stable and ready to face the
challenges of the world market. In regards to importation of these materials inputs and
outputs of pharmaceutical products - we should also use to our advantage our position
as the buyers of these materials to our advantage. Because if the ASEAN succeeded
with the integration, especially in healthcare and we still continue to import products
then we should exploit this situation by using its power, or we should already start
creating pharmaceutical products that are solely produced by the ASEAN.
The roadmap is a good guideline in achieving a more dynamic and internationally
competitive healthcare market. It serves as a blueprint for a more smooth and
successful integration. The downside of the roadmap is the westernized view of what
should be done and what should be the path that the healthcare market of the ASEAN
should be heading to, instead of a more protectionist direction.