The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic hasoverwhelmed the capacity of some domestic healthcaresystems, highlighting the need to allow scarce healthcareresources to move, including across borders, to whereoutbreaks emerge and are worse. Digital technologies, data,and cross-border e-health services like telemedicine havebecome important support mechanisms in the response to thepandemic. Allowing temporary movement of healthprofessionals can also help alleviate capacity constraintson domestic health systems. In the short-term, countries canadopt measures to help alleviate national shortages ofmedical providers and facilitate the use of telemedicine inresponse to the COVID 19 pandemic. These include: (i)removing or lowering restrictions on the movement ofhealthcare professionals across borders, even iftemporarily; and (ii) reducing barriers to telemedicine,including allowing the use of insurance in foreign clinics.Medium-term measures should focus on strengthening theglobal health system and building resilience to futurecrises. These include: (i) allowing foreign entry ofhealth-related suppliers in order to bring additionalresources, new technologies, and new management techniques;(ii) increasing cross-border coordination and collaborationbetween major research centers for disease prevention andcontrol; and (iii) improving digital connectivity in orderto provide better support for healthcare systems.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
