Hospital discrimination and fair treatment

I always had a feeling that there is some kind of hospital discrimination but I never saw it happening as obvious as today. I believe unfair treatment happens all over the world but to be able to look at things from the eyes of an outsider helps give perspective and objectivity about a fairly common situation.

A 32 year old patient arrived to the delivery room today after giving birth in the ambulance bringing her to the hospital. I first saw the baby, he seemed healthy enough and was going through the Apgar scoring and initial check ups / screening. The mother arrived shortly after with the umbilical cord dangling between her legs, waiting for the last stage of labor - the delivery of the placenta. As expected in a few minutes and a little push on the belly from a midwife the placenta came out completely.

The woman was suffering from some lacerations due to the delivery and needed stitches, I was shocked when the doctor started stitching without any local anesthesia. At first I thought its probably going to be one or two stitches and that they decided to spare the needle poke. I was wrong. Lets just say that it was a lot more then one or two.

I could tell that the lady was simple minded and belonged to a minority group. She was very poorly dressed and her hygiene was the dictionary definition for the word "dirty", non the less she was in pain and yelled out in agony but the "professionals" just told her to relax and that it should be over soon. There was not much I could do as a student, but I knew this was hospital discrimination. If she were a bit cleaner and a bit "whiter" the attitude would be different I'm sure. I asked the doctor afterwards why she didn't use any anesthesia, and she told me that in her opinion the patient didn't need any anesthesia.

I regret not asking the doctor there and then why she didn't use any anesthesia. Maybe I should have insisted.

This story is really shocking but discrimination doesn't have to be so obvious, it can be a attitude towards a patient or even just a face not in place. I just want to use this blog to address any doctors / future doctors that may be reading, we are in a profession that people trust us, trust our opinions and believe in our words and actions, even when life is on the line. We cannot take advantage of this trust, we must be true to our profession even when the patients is not aware of his simple rights, like getting anesthesia when being sutured.

I pray for the ability to always see each patient as the human he is and the miracle that he is. I hope I will not be institutionalized by the day to day practice and forget my humanity.