Costa Rica is considered one of the healthiest countries in South America.
The government here took an approach of not having an army and instead allotting its money for health, education and other basic amenities.
People were provided with safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing facilities. Health education was considered significant as knowledge about health was important at all levels. According to Costa Rican Government, a country can develop only when its people are healthy. Thus, they paid significant attention to the health of the people.

Kerala Government has made efforts to provide adequate healthcare to its people. In 1996, the State Government gave its 40% budget to the Panchayats in order to provide better facilities and check the existing ones. Problems such as water supply schemes, specific problems of village were taken up. Proper planning was done for betterment of people. Safe water, food, women's, development and education were provided health centres were improved. Working of schools and anganwadis was ensured. All other problems were checked though some problems are there which have to be addressed.

The following are some of the drawbacks of our healthcare:
(i)Two million cases of malaria and five lakh cases of tuberculosis every year.
(ii) Half of all children are mal nourished. Long Answer Type Questions
(iii) Most doctors settle in urban areas, less doctors in rural areas.
(iv) Private health on rise and Public health care system has not grown as per the need.
(v) Water borne communicable diseases like diarrhoea, hepatitis on the rise. About 21% has no access to clean water

Costa Rican approach about Health :
(i) Costa Rica is one of the healthiest countries in South America. The main reason for this is found in the Costa Rican constitution.
(ii) Costa Rica took a very important decision to not have an army. This helped the Costa Rican government to spend the additional money on health, education and other basic needs of the people.
(iii) The Costa Rican government believes that a country has to be healthy for its development.
(iv) It pays a lot of attention to the health of people.
(v) The Costa Rican government provides basic services and amenities like safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition, and housing to its entire people. Health education is also considered very important and knowledge about health is an essential part of education it all level.

(i) In 1996, Kerala government brought some changes in its health care system.
(ii) 40% of the state budget has been given to the panchayats. This made possible for a village to plan for safe drinking water, food, healthcare for women and education.
(iii) Water supplies, working of schools, and anganwadis were all ensured and specific problems of the village could be taken care off.
(iv) All this helped to improve the sanitation.
(v) Some problems like shortage of doctors, medicines, beds etc. are still there but the situation has improved in terms of health of people

(i) Public health services are run by government while private health services are managed by the individuals or companies.
(ii) Public health care services provide healthcare facilities either free of cost or at a low cost so that even the poor can seek treatment easily. So far private health services are concerned, they are run mainly for profit. They usually prescribe expensive treatment. It is common for private doctors to prescribe unnecessary medicines, injections or saline bottle when tablets or simple medicines can suffice.
(iii) Public health services are found both in rural and urban areas, while private health services are found in urban areas only.
(iv) Due to the huge rush in government hospitals, people have to wait for hours in a long queue But private hospitals are maintained properly and people don't face such long queues there.