Healthcare in Ardalia
Healthcare in Ardalia has long been lackluster with both limited investment and varying access. It was during the late Mezga Kings that the first state-sponsored health clinics were established in numerous rural communities and the largest cities to not only improve the quality of health but more to lower political risk to the Mezga line. With the establishment of the Republic in 1910, more expansive medical facilities were built but were considerably underfunded due to numerous competiting national priorities. The-then limited state system was devasted during the nearly forty year dictatorship of Frelno Letzek who diverted whatever funds he could get his hands onto the military, infrastructure, and personal pet projects. Following his downfall, and the subsequent years of restored Caropsyne relations, the Pontanore provided considerable funds and technical support to help rebuild and sigificantly improve quality of care. It would be over the next decade and a half that Ardalia inched ever closer to a true universal system. This was ultimately achieved with the election of the Socialists under Leno Frikasz in 2002.
Ardalia's current healthcare system is available to all citizens of the Republic and organized along the lines of the Caropsyne model. All necessary medical care is provided free of charge, whilst elective procedures have charges set by an advisory council to the Ministry of Health. The Republic operates a system of free public hospitals and maintains a separate category of specialist facilities. While the Frikasz Health Reforms of 2002 invested considerable in rural clinics, it also established a number of mobile units of both general practictioners and specialists to provide additional support and increase overall access. All medications and pharmaceutical products are handled by the State Dispensary through a chain of state-owned chemists. Although medications are not free, all prescriptions are available at the set price of 20 Litas