Singapore is the fourth healthiest country in the world, according to the Bloomberg Global Health Index of 163 countries, a March 20 article reported.

In the top three places in the latest 2017 ranking are Italy, Iceland and Switzerland.

Countries were graded based on variables such as life expectancy and mortality as a result of diseases and injuries, and health risks ranging from physical inactivity, high blood pressure and tobacco use to the availability of clean water.

Italy's healthy citizenry despite being in the economic slumps has been attributed to their leafy diet and copious amounts of olive oil, as well as having plenty of doctors per capita.

Singapore healthcare in the news

Singapore's highly positive health outcomes has been the subject of some intellectual discussions as of late as well.

Two days earlier, on March 18, the venerable New York Times wrote a piece, "Make America Singapore", about how the American healthcare system that is currently being overhauled by the Republicans can achieve better results by becoming more like Singapore.

NYT wrote:

There is Singapore, whose health care system is the marvel of the wealthy world. Singaporeans pay for much of their own care out of their own pockets, and their major insurance program is designed to cover long-term illnesses and prolonged hospitalizations, not routine care. The combination has produced genuinely extraordinary results: The island state has excellent health outcomes while spending, as of 2014, just 5 percent of G.D.P. on health care. (By comparison, a typical Western European country that year spent around 10 percent; the United States spent 17 percent.)

And previously, in November 2016, an opinion piece on Fox News, "Want to ditch ObamaCare? Let’s copy Singapore’s health care miracle", any proposal to replace ObamaCare should start with looking towards adopting Singapore’s efficient and effective system.

The piece argued that Singapore-style health insurance works with a much lower cost burden on consumers and the government as it forces people to save, health care providers are made to compete and individuals are empowered to choose health care providers.

Related article:

S’pore health care system praised in Fox News piece for being best & spending least

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