Figure 5.

Level of actually performed cardiac surgery related to the individual needs of a country. The percentages depicted represent mean values thereby masking country-specific social, geographic or political diversities. In countries with a high Gini index like South Africa, for instance, the overall 32% of the population with access to heart operations comprise the 83% who depend on public services and have a low access level of 20% and the 17% on private medical aid with practically 100% access to cardiac surgery. It equally does not take geographic differences into account. In Russia, for instance, all cardiac surgery is offered in public hospitals. Yet, the 44% represent a mean value between diverse regions such as the North-West and the Caucasus. In spite of this underlying heterogenicity of the national situations the mean values of the included countries correlate with their developmental status.