World Healthcare Students’ Symposium

What is the future of Healthcare? Is it corporate- or publicly-funded? Do we embrace our environment or sterilise our lives?  Is it infectious or non-communicable? Can it offer cure or therapy? Is it fewer drugs and more machines? Does it comprise primary-level practitioners or interventional physicians? Is there space for greater technology or more caring hands? Is it global in its aims and outflows, or is precision medicine the remedy? Do we focus on futures or entrench our histories?

​It seems that contradiction abounds. Not only in philosophies of provision, but in practice and policy: while some nations apply their efforts steadfastly to nationally implemented, co-ordinately funded interventions; others gravitate towards commodified healthcare, super-specialisation and personalised therapies. The unwavering question remains, however: how do we meet the needs of an ever-growing, increasingly complex and nuanced population, the longevity of which will be unparalleled in the coming century?