Micro-credit (2010/10/17 – 한국 )

독해 Micro-credit is the provision of credit services to poor clients. While it is designed to support entrepreneurship ( 기업가 되기 ) and alleviate poverty, it is often claimed that micro-credit is inefficient and there are three reasons. First, micro-credit will not be successful because poor people who use micro- credit have limited information and experience about business. Therefore, even if they have capitals to run their own businesses, their businesses that operate in arenas with too much competition are destined to get meager earnings that cannot lift their owners out of poverty. Second, micro-credit is inefficient because of high administrative costs. The costs of servicing loans are higher than for commercial banks because administrative charges for small amounts are proportionately ( 비례해 봤을 때 ) higher than for larger amounts of money. As a result, the world’s poorest people pay the world’s highest costs for their loans. Finally, micro-credit is harmful to the low-income class because the government cannot give the poor proper welfare benefits. In general, the government has fixed amounts of funds to support poor people by providing the infrastructure that poor communities need to become wealthier and healthier, such as healthcare, clean water and sanitation, and education. However, significant amounts of funds are spent on micro-credit, so the government cannot afford to pay attention to really poor people who cannot even dream of running a business.

Micro-credit seems to be impractical to some people, but when we take a closer look, we realize that it is the best way to provide credit for the poor. First, micro-credit is not limited to financial support. Take the case of India for example; micro-credit banks in India train poor people about basic business skills in addition to giving loans. Also, poor people come to learn about basic finance while they repay their debts. In this way, micro-credit makes up for the poor’s lack of business experience. As to the concern about administrative costs, there is a solution. If a group of 4 or 5 people submit a loan application, the issues associated with administrative costs can disappear. This is possible because processing costs occur just once when these groups apply for loans collectively. Third, the assertion that there will be reduced support for poor people is groundless. Micro-credit is organized by NGOs, international organizations, and private banks, not by the government, so it is not associated with government support. With these savings, the government can invest in other infrastructures in order to support poor people with increased welfare benefits.

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Your article is all about advantages of electronic medical records, and many modern hospitals are switching from traditional paper records to electronic filing systems. Before making the switch to electronic medical records, it is important to think about the risks of adopting this technological trend. First, your article insists that electronic medical records can help save money because using them can remove the cost of storage and transportation. But, even when electronic medical records are in use, paper records are essential just in case an emergency occurs, such as when electronic medical records are not available. Then, doctors have to keep paper records, which means the cost of storage and transportation will actually be incurred. Second, errors will occur even if electronic medical records are employed. Generally, when doctors examine a patient, they write down their opinion on paper and then someone else enters it into the computer. The problem is that poor handwriting of the doctors could lead to serious errors. Third, as for the idea that electronic medical records are beneficial because they can contribute to the establishment of database useful for medical research, I have a different idea. Patients’ medical records must not be accessed too easily, and they must be protected by law. The records can be used only when there is the patients’ agreement. So, using electronic medical records for research purpose is still troublesome.

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Your article is all about advantages of electronic medical records, and many modern hospitals are switching from traditional paper records to electronic filing systems. Before making the switch to electronic medical records, it is important to think about the risks of adopting this technological trend. First, your article insists that electronic medical records can help save money because using them can remove the cost of storage and transportation. But, even when electronic medical records are in use, paper records are essential just in case an emergency occurs, such as when electronic medical records are not available. Then, doctors have to keep paper records, which means the cost of storage and transportation will actually be incurred. Second, errors will occur anyway even if electronic medical records are employed. Generally, when doctors examine a patient, they write down their opinion on paper and then someone else enters it into the computer. The problem is that poor handwriting of the doctors could lead to serious errors. Third, as for the idea that electronic medical records are beneficial because they can contribute to the establishment of database useful for medical research, I have a different idea. Patients’ medical records must not be accessed too easily, as they must be protected by law. The records can be used only when there is the patients’ agreement. So, using electronic medical records for research purpose is still troublesome.

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