Jul 12, 20204 min read

Racism is a Healthcare Crisis

By: Mariyum Siddiqui

The revolutionary effects of recent protests around the world has created mass organizations and movements. What initially began as citizens demanding justice for the murder of an innocent black man has transformed into an inspiring fight directed towards addressing systemic racism. While protests and petitions are essential, different groups have come together with hopes of educating their communities. Through these changes, professionals from various careers have rapidly begun to address issues within their specific fields. Among prominent areas like politics or law, the healthcare industry has gained increased amounts of attention due to their shocking history associated with prejudiced beliefs.

The medical field has evolved over the centuries to accommodate new specialties and treatments. Yet, the glorified image of the healthcare world has managed to mask the controversial history linked with systemic racism and implicit bias. With a significant rise in support for the Black Lives Matter, multiple sources have criticized medical teachings for their prejudiced lessons that target certain specific ethnicities.

At its core, systemic racism within the field is directly associated with the historical mistreatment of blacks and other people of color across the world. While the evil act of slavery has long been abolished in most countries, the lingering effects remain prevalent within society. For example, numerous studies conducted within medical schools have shown the popularity of certain stigmas among students. When compared to other races, white people are seen as the ideal benchmark while other groups are perceived as “lacking.” Most students agree with physiological myths that often justify the inhumane treatment of blacks. Some of these include "Black people have thicker skin than white people" or "Black people's nerve endings are less sensitive than white people." Even though both claims are scientifically incorrect, it remains a common assumption held by the majority. These myths continue to put innocent lives at risk, as black people are consistently labeled as "dramatic" when they claim to experience pain. One of the most famous occurrences of this very problem happened to an internationally acclaimed tennis legend, Serena Williams. After Williams underwent a trying C-section surgery for her daughter's birth, she complained to the nurses that her pain felt unusual. Williams was adamant that she had a blood clot, despite protests from the nurses who said that Serena was acting irrationally due to her pain medication, she ordered an ultrasound that revealed numerous blood clots. Fortunately, the situation was solved; however, this is a common occurrence for black women and POC across the nation. For generations, black women have historically had higher maternal mortality rates when compared to the averages of white women.

Not only does the Black population hold a statistically higher average for maternal mortality rates, but they continue to lead in other specialties as well. For instance, African-Americans show significant numbers in deaths resulting from cardiovascular complications. While many people claim this is due to genetics, it holds a strong correlation with built-in racism. Severe issues of redlining from the government leads to questionable disadvantaged conditions that appear in the black communities. This is a controversial process known as redlining and is known to create disadvantages for the black population. Due to the unequal treatment from the government, these communities often exhibit problems such as a lack of healthy food options and dependable clinics, which in turn leads to a rise in health problems.

Prominent racial beliefs that directly target a group of people remain a severe issue within the healthcare industry. When a person spends 6-8 years of training to become an official medical professional, discipline in various fields is required. While medical schools teach their students about anatomy or biochemistry, each individual needs to recognize the importance of their occupation. A healthcare worker aims to create beneficial changes within their community to help the overall health of their patients. To become a healthcare worker, one requires empathy and understanding to treat different kinds of people. Yet, racist beliefs continue to plague the medical field, and in turn, creates difficulties. The color of a patient's skin should not hold as much influence over the attitude of the caregiver; however, studies show that most physicians have preconceived notions regarding their minority patients. Some of the most common stereotypical beliefs stem from the fear that these patients will refuse to comply with the doctor's instructions. It is a proven fact that it is less likely for black patients to earn prescribed pain medications or proper medical treatment when compared to their white counterparts, yet white people are more likely to abuse prescription medications. The intentional implicit bias within the medical field continues to be a growing issue amongst officials and students. As a result, changes have slowly started across the United States as well as in other countries. For example, the state of California has recently recognized racism as a public health issue. They have called for reforms within the healthcare world, which has led to the development of implicit bias classes. The purpose of these courses is to educate future physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers to rid their mindset of pre-existing notions. These teachings aim to prevent physicians from refusing to treat a specific patient purely based on their skin color.

The death of George Floyd has sparked a massive revolution that has tackled issues in both the political and medical world. With the leadership of the youthful Generation Z, the world is beginning to show positive signs of change. The times of unethical human testing on black women have long since passed, but remnants of racial bias remain. It is necessary to understand where the faults lie in every industry, including the medical world. Although solving this issue will continue to take time and effort, blatant racism directed towards the black and POC population will no longer stand. Healthcare workers must reevaluate their mindset instead of choosing ignorance. It is time to show empathy to all people.

By: Mariyum Siddiqui

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Racism is a Healthcare Crisis

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