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Country Profile
Linking health care needs and
technology across the continents
Global Medical Engineering Physics Exchanges (GMEPE)
& Pacifc Health Care Conference (PAHCE)
Conference, workshops, and exhibits
Cooperation/Linkages
An independent forum for emerging medical technologies and innovations in
procedures and techniques, equipment and appliances, which brings health care
industries together with medical personnel, engineering and technical
professionals, and those engaged in medical information technologies in the
academia, hospital and clinical settings, and related sectors.
PAHCE 2006 - 2015,
GMEPE/PAHCE 2015-2020
See
-
News
(Past and present)
Supporting
organizations:
SUNY-Korea,
INHA, UTP,
US,
UF,
ISEP,
INESCTEC,
IEEE-PT,
CINTESIS,
UP,
CSIC,
SEIB,
SEFM, CTH,
UV,
MdeVM,
CORAL,
SOCHIB,
IEEE Chile,
UCentral,
UnB, FINATEC,
Ruta N,
UDEA,
UPB,
EIA,
CES,
BPEI,
HUCFF,
SBEB,
UERJ,
INMETRO,
UFRJ,
ACSUP,
IEEE LA,
INR,
CINVESTAV,
INSN,
UPCH,
IEEEPERU,
PUCP,
UABC,
URP,
UNMSM,
ICYTDF,
SOMIB,
EMBS, ACCE,
CMIA,
and more
>
(Check for updates)
PAHCE originally initiated in cooperation with:
PAHO
(Pan
American Health Organization),
WHO
(World Health Organization); and endorsed
by:
IFMBE ,
IUPESM.
 Country
Profile - South Korea
Country and Healthcare related profile (South Korea)
1. Population
Approximately 51 million people as of 2021
2. Major Urban Centers
l
Seoul: Capital and largest city (over 10 million)
l
Busan: Major port city (3.5 million)
l
Incheon: Port city near Seoul, Bio-hub city (2.5 million).
l
Daegu: Major industrial city (over 2.5 million).
l
Daejeon: Research and development city (over 1.5 million)
3. Healthcare system
Universal coverage provided by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) with
contributions from both employees and employers.
4. Healthcare statistics
Over 100,000 licensed physicians and over 220,000 registered nurses as of 2020.
Approximately 8.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people.
Major hospitals: Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Seoul
St. Mary's Hospital, and Samsung Medical Center are among the largest and most
advanced hospitals in South Korea.
5. Major universities which have the departments related to medical
engineering
l
Seoul National University: A leading research university in South
Korea, with a department of Biomedical Engineering offering undergraduate and
graduate degrees.
l
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST): One
of the top research universities in South Korea, offering degrees in various
engineering fields including medical engineering.
l
Yonsei University: A well-known research university in South
Korea, with a Department of Biomedical Engineering offering undergraduate and
graduate degrees.
l
Hanyang University: A leading university in South Korea, with a
Department of Biomedical Engineering offering undergraduate and graduate
degrees.
l
Inha University: A leading university in South Korea, with a
Department of
Biomedical Science and Engineering.
Offering graduate degrees.
l
Pusan National University: A research university located in Busan,
with a Department of Biomedical Engineering offering undergraduate and graduate
degrees.
5. Other information
South Korea has a well-developed medical technology industry and is a leading
producer of medical equipment and supplies. The country is also known for its
advanced medical research and treatments, including plastic surgery and stem
cell
Jong-ho Cha, Ph.D.
Country Profile - Americas
The strive
and need for new developments in and broader accessibility to
Medicine (patient care),
Medical Information
Technologies,
Health Care
Engineering
(biomedical, clinical
and hospital engineering,
Medical Physics is common to all the
linguistic regions of the American continent. Overall, health care
engineering as a field combining medical and technical
advances parallels and merges the
most technologically demanding specialties of engineering. The use of
medical devices increases almost 10 percent per year worldwide and the
Americas share common challenges in health care and technological
support of the solutions. |
| |
| The
conference provides a forum and a
linkage for the personnel
of health care delivery institutions such as hospitals and clinics,
academic institutions encompassing education and training in related
areas, and medical device and equipment industry within the Americas. |
| |
| The
conference, in addition to
regular sessions, will include a training workshop for the personnel
involved in the direct engineering and technical support of patient
care, hospitals, and clinics. In particular, the conference will
focus on the status of medical technology, its maintenance and acquisition
throughout the Latin American sphere and linkage to North American models
of support and manufacturing of medical technology as well as academic
training. |
| |
|
| Health
care and related industry facts |
|
| |
| The
medical device industry in the U.S., with sales of approaching $60
billion, which became bigger than the steel industry is one of
the most dynamic sectors of U.S. high technology. The medical
device industry is represented by 13,000 manufacturers. California alone
represents about 19 percent of nation’s medical industry which is
equivalent to industrial activities of the
next three states combined. The needs for medical technology are
increasing worldwide and this includes the Americas from Alaska to
Tierra del Fuego. |
| |
| In
the U.S. approximately 65 % of patient care depends on technology. It is
estimated that 4,800 legislative codes and standards relate to the
health care environment. Further, it is estimated that spending for
health care in the U.S. will reach $2.1 trillion by 2007 or about $7,100
per person. Hospitals alone will account for about 30% of health care
expenditures. |
| |
| In
general, the percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering
disciplines ranged from 6.9% in the U.S. and 7.5% in Canada to 13.5% in
Mexico. It placed Mexico as 12th, Canada as 21st,
and United States as 22nd country globally. “The number of
biomedical engineering jobs will increase by 31.4 percent through 2010
-- double the rate for all other jobs combined, according to the U.S.
Department of Labor.” |
| |
| As
America’s population is exceeding 870 million and its largest
population centers with Sao Paulo, Brazil (19,245,000); Mexico City,
Mexico (18,755,000); New York City, USA (17,062,000);
Los Angeles, U.S. (13,652,000); Buenos Aires, Argentina
(12,354,000); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (11,063,000) are among largest -
health care engineering support continues to be a continental challenge.
The strive for new developments and broader accessibility of biomedical,
clinical, and hospital engineering, or health care engineering in
general is common for all these
linguistic regions of the American continent. |
| |
|
Organizing Committee |
|
|
|
(Note:
Country
Profile editors:
see below)
|
|
|
Country
and Health Care related profile |
Note:
Selected countries
are listed in geographical order. |
|
| |
| Country:
Canada |
Top |
| |
| 1.
Population |
-
Population:
32,000,000
-
Multicultural
with French and English the founding cultures
|
| 2.
Major urban centers |
- Toronto (5,200,000); Montreal
(3,600,000); Vancouver (2,200,000);
- Ottawa-Gatineau (1,100,000);
Calgary (1,000,000); Edmonton (1,000,000)
|
| 3.
Selected data. |
-
Healthcare
system is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or
territorial basis with guidelines set by the federal government.
-
Healthcare
statistics: 61,000 physicians and surgeon, 247,000 nurses, 4.1
hospital beds per 1,000.
-
Major
universities: McGill University, McMaster University, University of
Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto,
University of Western Ontario
-
Universities
offering degrees in Biomedical
Engineering: Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster
University, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University
of Toronto, University of Western Ontario
-
National
Healthcare Research Funding Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health
Research
|
| 4.
Other Information. |
- In 1950 Dr. John A.
Hopps, a Canadian electrical engineer, developed the world’s
first artificial cardiac pacemaker. Later Dr. Hopps founded the
Canadian Medical
and Biological Engineering Society.
|
|
Dr.
Richard Snyder
|
| |
| Country: United States |
Top |
| |
| 1.
Population |
- U.S. =
332,403,650 ;
California =
39,185,605
- U.S. Population
groups (in millions): Whites = 240.0; Hispanics = 41.3; Blacks = 39.2; Asians =
14; Native Americans = 4.4; Native Islanders = 1.0. Source: US Census Bureau
|
| 2.
Major urban centers |
- New
York City
(8,143,197); Los Angeles (3,844,829);
Chicago (2,842,518); Houston (2,016,582);
Philadelphia (1,463,281). (2005)
- Southern
California’s Orange County population is 3,057,000
|
| 3.
Selected data. |
- More than
5,000 hospitals; 575,000 Physicians and Surgeons; 157,000
Dentists; 3.25 Million Nurses; 12,500 Hospitals and Clinics; 53,100
Pharmacies; 55,100 Chiropractors; 36,300 Optometrists; 24,400
Physical Therapists.
- Major universities
(California)
- California’s
educational system on the university level includes University
of California system with eight campuses including
Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other;
California State University with 23 campuses including Long
Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Fullerton, and
other; private universities including Stanford, University of
Souther California, University of San Francisco, and many other.
- Among ten
worlds’ best universities seven are located in the United
States and out of those three of them located in California
although the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, in
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic founded in 1538; National
University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru founded in 1551, and the
Colegio de San Nicolas Hidalgo in Morelia, Michoacan get a
distinction of being among the oldest universities within the
Americas.
|
| 4.
Other Information. |
- California home to 39
million people embodies worlds’ 5th economy, and alone
represents about 19 percent of nation’s medical industry.
The state is home to 400 hospitals and has 93,000 doctors and
202,000 nurses.
|
|
Christopher Druzgalski, Ph.D.
Luis Castro Pou, MSc
|
| Country:
México |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
|
-
Country
Total =
108,576,411 ( male 53,955,452/ female 54,620,959)
Age
Structure:
-
0-14 years:
31,104,531
(male 15,877,417/female 15,227,114)
-
15-64 years:
71,418,481
(male
35,342,307/female
36,076,174)
-
65 years and
over:
6,053,399
(male
2,735,728 /female
3,317,671)
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
| |
- Distrito
Federal (D.F.
8,815,694);
Guadalajara
(1,600,894);
Monterrey
(1,133,070);
Puebla (1,485,941);
Tijuana
(1,410,000)
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
| |
- Mexico
has more than 47,719 hospitals, 123,522 Doctors, 7,042 odontologists;189,747
nurses;12,000 pharmacies; 2,723 operating rooms; 1,795 radiology
rooms; 2,024 units for clinical analysis .
|
- The
Mexican healthcare system is run by the offices of public health of
each state and by the private sector, under the supervision of the
offices for public health.
Instituto
Mexicano de Seguro Social
(IMSS) and Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los
Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSSTE) are the main institutions
providing medical and hospital coverage to the Mexican population. There
are also other social security funds to complement the health and
social security programs such as those maintained by Petroleos
Mexicanos
(Pemex) and Secretaria de Defensa Nacional
(Sedena); other funds for people lacking
medical insurance are
SSA, IMSS and DDF.
According to recent estimates all these National Health
System institutions provide coverage to 95% of the population.
|
|
|
- In Mexico,
the main universities are:
- Universidad
Autónoma de Mexico: With 27,000 bachelor
students and postgraduates; approximately 28,000 professors, and
19.000 researchers.
- Universidad
Autónoma Metropolitana: Total student population:
54,008; Undergraduate population 53,011; graduate population;
997 total number of students 129,242; and 13,685 faculty. This
is the only school that offers bachelor degree, master, and
doctorate degree in biomedical engineering.
- Benemerita
Universidad
Autónoma de Puebla: Student population total:
40,566. Undergraduate population: 28,184. Graduate population:
1,674. Total faculty: 3,260. Total full time faculty:
1,946.
- Universidad
de Colima: Student population: 21,166. Undergraduate
population: 9,958. Graduate population: 607. Total faculty:
1,251. Full time faculty: 456.
- Universidad
Autónoma de Baja California: Student population:
21,726. Undergraduate: 21,143. Graduate: 583. Total faculty:
3,082. Full time faculty: 667.
- Universidad
Veracruzana: Student population: 57,276 (includes
informal education). Undergraduate: 42,845. Graduate: 1,655.
Total faculty: 5,417. Full time faculty: 1,391
|
|
Dr. Marco Antonio Reyna
M. Sc. Héctor Gerardo Arriola
Dra. Martha Lorena Nava Martínez.
|
| Country:
El Salvador |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
Data
source:
Ministry
of Health and Public Assistance. |
| |
|
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
|
| |
- San
Salvador
(Capital: 2,143,000); Santa
Ana (606,000); San
Miguel (534,000).
|
| |
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
| |
- Public hospitals: 25
- Private hospitals:
14
- Private clinics:
7,000
- Medical Doctors:
Approx. 10,600
- Pharmacies:
- In the Capital
city, no less than 200.
- Out of the
Capital city, between 10 and 50, depending on the city size.
|
- Universities:
-
National
University (Public)
-
“José
Simeon Cañas” University, UCA (
Private - Catholic University
)
-
Don
Bosco University (
Private - Catholic University
)
-
"Dr.
José Matias Delgado" University (Private)
-
Universidad
Evangélica (Private)
-
Universidad
Alberto Masferrer (Private)
|
|
Juan
Carlos Ponce, BSCSE
Dr. Gaston Gonzalez
Dra. Karina Navarro de Gonzalez |
| |
| Country:
Costa Rica |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
Data
source:
Programa Estado de la Nación
– Costa Rica (2001 – 2003), www.estadonacion.or.cr |
| |
|
|
| Other
Data of Interest |
| Masculine
population |
2,120,706 |
| Feminine
population |
2,
048,987 |
| Population
Density |
81,6
hab/km2 |
|
Life
expectancy: (years)
|
Men: 76,24
Women:
80,65 |
| Infants
mortality rate |
10,1
for
each 1,000 born alive |
| Population
with basic healthcare programs |
3,599,939 |
| Population
with healthcare insurance |
4,129,099 |
| Hospital
beds for each 1,000 habitants |
1,42 |
|
| |
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
Data
source:
Distribución
Político-Administrativa de Costa Rica, UCR, www.odd.ucr.ac.cr |
| |
- San
José (1,345,750);
Alajuela (716,286); Cartago
(432,395); Heredia (354,732)
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
| |
- The
Costa Rica Ministry of Health, warrants the efficiency and
effectiveness of the healthcare system. This is done by the
Minister, with the full participation of many social entities that
contribute to maintain and improve the quality of life of the
population and the country development, under the principles of
equality, solidarity, and universality.
|
- The
Costa Rica Social Security Institute (CCSS), is the executive of the
national healthcare plans, politics, and strategies; also, it helps
establishing the integration of community in the preventive national
healthcare programs.
|
- The
healthcare system has 33 hospitals distributed as follows:
- 7
national
hospitals:
These are the country's most advanced healthcare centers, and
consequently the most complex.
- 7
regional
hospitals:
These work as general hospitals with 4 basic specialties: internal
medicine, surgery, OB-GYN, and pediatrics; also, providing the
sub-specialties of higher demand for each region.
- 14
peripheral
hospitals:
These type of hospital, constitute a backup for the hospitals of
less capacity in the semi-urban or rural zones, outpatient
clinics, and other small public clinics/centers in the area.
- 4
private
hospitals.
|
- Costa
Rica has, in the different healthcare medical centers: 8,608
physicians and 6,400 nurses.
|
- Costa
Rica is the only country in Central America where Engineering in
Electro-medicine is studied since 1997, at the Universidad Latina de
Costa Rica. Until now, there are in excess of 75 professionals
graduated there.
|
|
José Raúl
Pino Alea |
| |
| Country:
COLOMBIA
|
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
|
|
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
|
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
|
|
-
Population
distribution: Urban population percentage 76%, Rural population
percentage 24%
Life expectancy: Total 72 years; Women 76 years, Men
68.2 years; Infant mortality rate: 20 deceases for each 1.000 babies
born alive
1 doctor per 741 inhabitants;
1 nurse per 2325 inhabitants;
1 auxiliary nursing per 549 inhabitants;
1 dentist per 2278 inhabitants National expenditure on health per year like a proportion of the
GDP: Public 4.5%, Private 3.7% = Total 8.2%;
Mostly of the industrial workers have a system of Social Security that
provides services of maternity assistance and dental assistance, accident
insurances, compensation payments and incapacity payments to the workers
and retirement benefit. The system is financed through contributions from
bosses, workers and government.
|
-
Main universities:
CES University (www.ces.edu.co):
recognized university in the health area, and first accredited
medicine and dentistry careers in the country.
Andes University (www.uniandes.edu.co):
prestigious national university.
University of Antioquia (www.udea.edu.co):
First University of the country, offers diverse undergraduate programs and
postgraduate programs.
|
| 4.
Other Information: |
|
|
|
|
Dr. José María Maya – Rector, CES University
Dr. Juan Esteban Valencia – Extension Director, CES University
|
|
| |
| Country:
Peru |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
|
-
Country
Total = 27,947,000
-
Peru
has the fourth largest population in South America with an urban
population of 72.6% and a rural population of 27.4%
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
-
Lima
(Capital)
= 8,011,820; Piura
(1,710,790); La Libertad (1,573,106); Cajamarca
(1,532,878); Puno
(1,313,571); Junín
(1,288,792)
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
|
|
- The
medical system in Peru is managed by the Ministry of Health (Minsa),
social security (EsSalud) and the armed forces. In the Ministry of
Health there are 11389 medics, 10608 nurses, 1681 dental surgeons,
4723 obstetricians, 462 psychologists, 369 nutritionists, 416
pharmaceutical chemists, and 290 other professionals.
|
- The higher education
system in Peru includes state universities such as Universidad
Nacional Mayor de San Marcos founded in 1551, Universidad Federico
Villareal, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional
de San Agustín and others; among the private universities are
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú which is the only one
that has biomedical engineering, Universidad Ricardo Palma,
Universidad de Lima, Universidad del Pacifico and others.
|
| 4.
Other Information: |
|
- Peru is characterized
as a country with a great variety of natural wonders, a diverse climate, and historical past that includes MachuPicchu (Cusco)
as the greatest treasure.
|
|
Dr. Rosa Isabel Alvarado
M.en IB Rocío Callupe
M. en Ing. Carlos Lara Alvarado |
|
| Country:
Bolivia |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
Source: INE
Bolivia Census 2001 |
-
Country
Total = 8,274,325;
Urban Areas: 5,165,230; Rural Areas: 3,109,095
-
Population
Groups: Aymará (28.03%), Quechua (27.71%), Chiquitano (1.27%),
Guaraní (0.32%), Mojeño (0.32%), Others (0.96%), Mixed (23.57%), y
No Natives (17.83%) (Source:
Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004).
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
Source: INE
Bolivia Census 2001 |
-
La
Paz: 2,350,466
habitants; Santa
Cruz: 2,029,471 habitants; Cochabamba:
1,455,711 habitants
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
|
|
|
- Health
Care Infrastructure (2004):
Total (2,706), Health Care Community Centers (1,369), Regional
Health Care Centers (1,144), Basic Hospitals (142), General
Hospitals (26), Specialized Institutes (25) (Source:
Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004)
|
- Professional
Categories Distribution
(including
public,
private,
and
social security sectors):
- Total
(54.181 – 100%);
- Medical
Doctors (10.905 - 24.1%),
Dentists (1.661 - 3.7%), Registered Nurses (4.751 - 10.5%):
Professionals (17.317 - 40.7%), Technicians
(4.77 - 10.6%), Nurse Assistants (10.044 - 22.2%): Ancillary
services (10.643 - 23.6%), Administration (4.527 - 10.02%),
Other (6.88
- 15.2%) (Source:
Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004. SNIS 2002. INASES. Survey
MECOVI 2.001. Dirección de recursos humanos. Ministerio de
Salud y Deportes. 2004)
|
- Universities:
- La
Paz: Universidad
Católica Boliviana (UCB), Regional La Paz,
Universidad
Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Universidad
Abierta del Sur UAS La primera Universidad Virtual de Bolivia,
Universidad
Real.
- Santa
Cruz: Universidad
Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno (UAGRM) , Universidad
Núr, Universidad
Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA).
- Cochabamba: Universidad
Católica Boliviana (UCB), Regional Cochabamba, Universidad del
Valle, Universidad
Mayor de San Simón, Universidad
Privada Boliviana (UPB)
- Sucre-Chuquisaca: Universidad de San
Francisco Javier, Universidad
Andina Simón Bolívar
- Oruro: Universidad
Técnica de Oruro
- Tarija: Universidad
Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho (UAJMS)
|
|
|
| 4.
Other Information: |
|
- Health
Care:
In
summary the health care conditions in Bolivia are characterized, in
general, by high levels of infant and maternal mortality, and this
is a high priority of the health care system; and, also high levels
of transmissible diseases: endemic and epidemic diseases. Among
endemics there are:
Malaria, Chagas disease, tuberculosis and other; and among epidemic
diseases, dengue and rabies (in 2004).
|
- Human
Resources:
In
the last five years there is a tendency to improve the human
resource production - according to PAHO - since there is a
growing number of institutions offering careers in healthcare and
science. Currently, there are 11 State universities and 17 private
ones offering careers in healthcare related areas. At bachelor
level: medicine, dentistry, nursing, biochemist-pharmacy, nutrition
and dietician, and physiotherapy. There are 20 universities that
offer medicine careers of which 8 are public. According to National
Information for Superior Education (SNIES - Ministry of Education),
the total of registered students in 2002 was 43,272 with 32,981
(76.2%) in public universities and 10,291 (23.8%) in private
universities.
|
- Budget and healthcare expenses:
- National
expenses
(
Total = $541,546
Thousand US $)
- Public
System (113,416), Social Security (222,410), Private System
(205,720).
- National
Expenses
as % of
GDP (6.95%),
Public System (1.46%), Social Security (2.86%), Private System
(2.64%).
- National
expenses per capita: US$ 61.37 (Source:
Bolivia Situación de Salud 2004. Cardenas
M, Avila R, A Esquivel. MSD,
DFID, OPS/OMS, Cuentas Nacionales de Financiamiento y Gasto en
Salud-Bolivia Dic. 2004)
|
-
Other webpages of Interest:
|
|
|
|
Ricardo Batista, MD. Msc -
Epidemiological Surveillance
Carola Yucra, Eng. |
|
| Country:
Brazil |
Top |
| |
|
1.
Population
|
Data
Source:
Brazilian
Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)
- July 2005 |
| |
|
|
| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
| |
-
São
Paulo (10,927,985); Rio
de Janeiro (6,094,183); Salvador (2,673,560); Belo Horizonte
(2,375,329); Fortaleza
(2,374,944); Brasília
(Capital: 2,333,108)
|
| 3.
Selected Data |
Data
Source:
Ministry
of Health and Federal Councils |
| |
- 5,137
general hospitals; 1,145
specialized hospitals; 13,486
clinics; 301,167
active physicians; 202,787
dentists;
800,000 nurses; 85,571
pharmacists; 61,333
pharmacies; 11,000
ophthalmologists.
|
- 45
university hospitals (included on the data shown above), are
important human resources formation and technology development
centers for the country's healthcare system. The effectiveness of
healthcare services to the population allows for the continual
improvement of these services, allowing the formulation of technical
protocols for the diverse range of pathologies, which guarantees
better levels of efficiency and effectiveness that reflect back as
services in the network called "Sistema Unico de Saude"
(SUS). Finally, these hospitals offer medical internship
programs (which is a mandatory pre-requisite for obtaining the
medical board accreditation, after medical school.)
|
- 102
medical schools (universities), including public and private
schools, accredited by the Ministry of Education.
|
- Main
Brazilian universities (
Latin America ranking / World raniking)
According
with the "World
Universities’ ranking on the Web", Brazil has 10 of the
top 20 main universities in Latin America (also
classified among the top 1,000 world wide).
|
|
São
Paulo State ...............: |
USP
(2/112);
Unicamp (3/146);
Unesp (16/723); |
|
Rio
de Janeiro State ........: |
UFRJ
(7/405);
PUC-RJ (11/547); |
|
Santa
Catarina State ........: |
UFSC
(8/464); |
|
Rio
Grande do Sul State ..: |
UFRGS
(9/466); |
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Minas
Gerais State ...........: |
UFMG
(13/614); |
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Federal
District, Brasília ...: |
UnB (14/647); |
|
Paraná
State ....................: |
UFPR
(20/939); |
| |
|
Walter Guerreiro Da Silva, MSc.
Saide Jorge Calil, PhD
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| Country:
Paraguay |
Top |
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1.
Population
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Paraguay has a population of 6,036,900 inhabitants according to the 2002 census. The density of the population is only 15 inhabitants per
square kilometer, one of the lowest in South America. The life expectancy is 72 years for men and 77 years for women.
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| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
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The most important cities are: -Asunción, capital and one of the most important principle commercial centers and harbors in the country
(1,662,000 inhabitants); Ciudad del Este, one of the most important commercial centers on a global level (153,893 inhabitants);
San Lorenzo, the city that harbors the Campus Univeristario of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción with 20 hectares of terrain (133,331inhabitants).
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| 3.
Selected Data |
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3.1 Type of Government: Republic
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3.2 Election of Officials. Election by means of vote, each official has a five year term.
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3.3 Health System: The health system in Paraguay is overseen by the Ministerio de Salud Publica y Bienstar Social (MSPyBS). Social Security is
overseen by the Instituto de Previsión Social (IPS). Currently the country distributes its health system in maternity/infant centers in a fight to lower the
infant mortality rate. Average number of public health officials for every 1000 inhabitants:Asunción 16.87, Alto Paraguay 4.98, the average number of
Public Health doctors for every 10.000 inhabitants are distributed in the following manner: Asunción 35.27 , Dpto Central 5.049, Presidente Hayes 3.77
and the lowest coverage is in the Departamento de Canendiyu with 0.98.
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3.4 Education System: Education in Paraguay is free and mandatory for those between the ages of 6 and 14. In 2003 the literacy rate was 94%
among adults. In 2002 950,125 students entered in primary schools and 459,260 in secondary schools, vocational and liberal arts college for teachers;
42,302 students entered in higher education facilities mostly attending Universidad Nacional de Asunción (1890) and Universidad
Católica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (1960), in large populated areas there are branches of Universidad Nacional: la Universidad
Nacional del Este(UNE), Universidad Nacional de Itapúa(UNI), among others. Private universities include La Americana, del Norte, Autónoma
The head of primary and secondary education is the Ministerio de Educación y Culto (MEC) and of superior education it is el Consejo
The country is part of a unique faculty made up of engineers that specialize in Medical Electronics, the Facultad Politécnica depends on
Universidad Nacional de Asunción, which in 2006 had its first promotion of professionals.
The maintenance of teams of hospitals is, for the most part, in the hands of technical professionals without superior education, besides
counting on scarce professionals with university level or post graduate degrees obtained in this area from abroad (Brazil, Mexico, Germany).
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| 4.
Other Information: |
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The country counts on natural resources such as freshwater reserves on a global level, the AQUIFERO GUARANI is an important part of two
important bi-national hydroelectric plants, ITAIPÚ (Paraguay – Brazil) and YACYRETA(Paraguay - Argentina). The first one being a major energy
producer on a global scale. Producing 44,894 million KWh.
Escobar Juan Dario Ortigoza, Dr.
Ortigoza Juan Nicolas, Est. de Ing
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Country:
Argentina |
Top |
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1.
Population |
Total:
36.260.130
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2.
Major urban centers |
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3.
Selected Data |
- Healthcare
system:
- Number of
establishments with hospital admissions: 3.311, (38,38%)
- Number of beds
available in healthcare establishments: 153.065
- Number of
establishments without admissions: 14.534, (44,41%)
- The healthcare
system is divided in four levels of complexity.
- Percentage of
the population non-covered with healthcare: 48,1%
- Investment in
healthcare: 7% of the National IBP. US $850 per capita during
1990-1998 period.
- Human
Resources:
- Professionals
(Dr., pharmacists, biochemists, psychologists, dietitians,
etc.): 212.400 - 53,3%;
- Nurses and
nurse assistants: 81.000 – 19,6%;
- Engineers,
Bioengineers and technicians: 12.100 – 2,7%,
- Social
workers: 3300 – 0,7%
- Administration:
110.000 – 23,5%
- Major
Universities:
- 38 National universities,
41 Private universities, 6 State university institutes, 13
Private university institutes, 1 Province university, 1
Foreign university, 1 International university.
- Major
Universities: University of Buenos Aires 324.000 students.
University of Cordoba 96.000 students.
- Institutions
offering Biomedical Engineering (graduates): National
University of Entre Ríos (550); National University of
San Juan (180); National University of Mendoza (10), Favaloro
Foundation (20), National University of Tucumán and Córdoba
(none yet).
- Postgraduate
Studies: There are various institutions offering related
postgraduates studies - National University of Entre Ríos,
Favaloro Foundation, National University of Tucumán, and
National University of Technology.
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4.
Other
Information |
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80 manufacturers of low and medium
complexity medical equipment.
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Argentina
exports technology mainly to other Latin American countries.
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There
are representatives of the major international medical equipment
manufacturers, in Argentina.
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All medical products must be
certified by the Administración Nacional de Medicamentos,
Alimentos y Tecnología Médica (ANMAT).
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Ing. José María Flores - Chief of
Engineering - Hospital “San Martín” – Paraná - Entre Ríos – Argentina
José L. Ciani – Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos |
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| Country:
Chile |
Top |
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1.
Population
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| 2.
Major Urban Centers |
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- Santiago
(Capital)
6.061.185;
Valparaíso
1.539.853; Concepción 1.861.586; Antofagasta
493.894; Arica e Iquique
428.075
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| 3.
Selected Data |
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Public
Health System Beneficiary Population: 10.495.449
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Registered
Population: 8.569.917
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The
expense in public health is 49% of the public and private total
expenses; and, it covers the needs of 76% of the population.
20% use private sector and the rest do not have health care
insurance.
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Major universities:
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25
State Universities;18 public universities;
7 private universities with government support; 40
private universities.
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Total
number of university students: 370.763.
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Main
universities in the country:
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| 4.
Other Information: |
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- Biomedical
Engineering degree: U. de Valparaíso
(undergraduate); U. de Concepción (undergraduate);
U. de Chile
(postgraduate); U Católica
de Chile (postgraduate); Unicyt (private/undergraduate)
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- Medical
Equipment Regulation - Participants:
Ministry of Health
(MINSAL), Regional Healthcare Services, Public Health
Institute (ISP),
National Institute of Normalization (INN), Universities and Chilean
Commission of Nuclear Energy (CCHEN)
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BME Eng.
Guillermo Enrique Avendaño Cervantes |
| Medical
Dr. Thelma Raphael Zurich . |
| Note: |
If, as a visitor to this page, you would like to add supplemental
documented information or have some comments, as the above information
was obtained from different sources, please email your comments to: pahceweb@acsup.org
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See summary of the events since
2006, publications, and international outreach.
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