Bridging the Gap in Healthcare

By Asma Rehman / Fall 2020

Growing up as a kid my parents always had the dream of one of their kids becoming a doctor. My older siblings did not end up pursuing that career choice, so my parents had always hoped I would fulfill that dream. As a child I honestly had no idea of what I wanted to do since at that time I wasn’t even giving much thought on what I wanted to be when I grew up. As kids we always get asked the question what do you want to be when you grow up and the answers range from one spectrum to another. Since I was the youngest in my family some of my older cousins were already married with kids. I was the aunt that the kids would love to play with and just be around. I soon became known as the aunt who was good with kids and my dad used to say she will grow up to be a kids doctor. The older I got the more I realized that I truly did love being around with kids and seeing their smiles just made me so happy. I started to think being a pediatrician when I am older sounds like a very appealing idea. Especially because I had such good experiences with my pediatrician and growing up with the babies in my family. When I was a child I would hate getting shots, but my pediatrician always found a way for me to bear the pair. Seeing how good of a pediatrician I had made me think I could become that one day as well.

However as a kid I didn’t know that being able to see a pediatrician isn’t an option that every kid has. There are children out there who don’t get the proper health care they deserve and there is nothing they can do about. This type of problem isn’t one that upper class kids will face because their parents have the means to provide for them. This is a problem for families that are people of color who will face this. At the end of the day regardless of color, race, and financial situations these kids are human beings that deserve proper health care but aren’t given that. Healthcare shouldn’t even be a factor for a child but sometimes it is especially for marginalized groups. The system of healthcare isn’t the way I thought it was as I grew up. It is more evident that there are contradictions in this system. These contradictions can be seen when there are providers out there who refuse to treat patients just because of their race. The quality of healthcare given to a poor family vs. an upper class family is a night and day difference. The heartbreaking part of this all is that kids don’t even know what racism is, but the way these systems are set up they will eventually catch on to the idea that not everyone is treated the same.

From an outsider's perspective a child not receiving proper healthcare could be blamed on the parents such as they aren’t working hard enough to provide the necessities for their family. Another blame could be that the parents just are not trying hard enough to get that care because if there is a will there's a way. The home environment can be another aspect to blame meaning that the kids are not getting the sufficient nutrients they need which is why they are weak and need healthcare. The list of blames could go on because at the end of the day as outsiders we are so quick to judge the parents for the health of the kid. Seeing a sick kid makes us think that the parents didn’t give them the proper care they should have, which is what led to the kid being this way. Even seeing a family with many kids makes a person think that the kids aren’t getting the proper attention and time they should be receiving. It is so easy to jump the gun and blame the parents because they are supposed to do whatever is possible to take care of children. However the systems are what should be blamed especially healthcare. Parents will do anything for their children, but if the systems are against them then they are stuck with no way out.

The contradictions of health care between giving the proper care to children has been a problem that has been going on and can be seen throughout history. During the twentieth century there were so many young kids who were employed illegally, many of them suffering from chronic coughs from the coal dust. (Zinn) All that the employers cared about during that time was to just make more money and have people get the task done. The age, working conditions, and the legality was not a concern when it should have been since the time people started hiring children to work. The children having chronic coughs from the working conditions just goes to further prove the point that health was not a concern. These children shouldn’t be working in the first place since they don’t belong in a coal dust environment rather they should be out playing with friends. These poor and working class children were the ones who had no choice other than to work because how else would they survive in the world that they live in. A child should only be working once the employer knows this is a safe condition for a young child to be in. These children need protections while working and it wasn’t until the Great Depression that those necessary changes were made.

In the video from Unnatural Causes “​When the Bough Breaks”​ really gives you an inside look on the mortality rates for babies that are of color. There is a gap between the Whites and African Americans and the quality of healthcare that each race receives. Racism affects babies even before they are born because of the fact that African American women have a different type of pregnancy than White females have. Higher education is seen as a huge factor for the type of life a person will live, but even if a female of color has that her baby still does not have a fighting chance. These moms have to live with the fact that they carried their babies for nine months yet can’t even see them grow up. These moms grow through a different type of pain that no one will understand and have to be reminded of what they went through whenever they see other babies with their moms. For African Americans they could have it all socio-economically, but their race still has the highest chance of preterm birth. Statistically it is appalling to see that even if Africans have the highest education compared to all the other races, yet they still have to see their babies not living. These moms feel like the odds are against them and they can’t do anything about besides seeing their baby passing away. Racism is a key factor for these women because they aren’t getting the proper treatment that they deserve even if these women are from high class. African women have stress on a daily basis based on how they are treated which affects their body and leads to bad outcomes. People don’t realize just how much their actions can affect a person since one small act can have a detrimental effect on a person. Stress has already been known to ruin people’s lives but for African American women that are pregnant it is much worse. They don't even realize their outside conditions are what are causing them to go into preterm labor. Pregnancy is a vital time for all moms that no one will understand besides a mom and having to deal with stress along the way is just a path leading to a disaster. There are certain problems that only African Americans will deal with that no white person will even come close to understanding. A white female will never have to worry about the type of treatment they are getting, stress, or having to wonder if their babies will live. Class is not even an issue here rather racism is the key issue here. The consequences of racism can’t be ignored because that means more preterm babies will be dead.

Stress and racism are factors here that affect women of color especially pregnant women, but those are not the only problems they face. The health care system is structured as a neoliberal system that is negatively affecting families who come from low income families and the kids who need healthcare. The truth of the matter is that there are people who have to worry about getting proper treatment, but there are people who aren’t even insured. Mothers who are pregnant won’t even be able to get the proper natal care they need in order to help their babies for nine months. Besides that there are families out there who have many kids that can’t even get their kids the health care insurance they need. Neoliberal is the type of system that just makes it harder for the people who need healthcare, but can’t even afford it. The healthcare system needs to be changed or else more people will be unable to pay their co-pays and deductibles as it becomes unaffordable (Gaffney). The sad truth is that this system cares more about finding ways that will be highly profitable for the hospital rather than caring about the type of treatment they are giving. Healthcare is meant to be about providing the best type of treatment that each person deserves regardless of color and race. This goes the same for kids who need treatment there are some babies out there who come out of the womb needing critical care and for hospitals not to provide that is unjust. The reason people become doctors is to make a difference in people's lives and provide the best treatment; but now it has become more of a numbers game and which patient will bring in more money. Patients were seen before as human beings but in this neoliberal system of health care they are rather seen as money symbols. The market driven healthcare system needs to realize there are poor families who can’t afford the treatment they need and there is nothing they can do about it. So now it is about the healthcare system finding a way to adjust their ways and come back to the bigger picture which is providing the utmost care that every individual deserves.

The neoliberal health care system has forgotten about the rights that every individual has and this was stated in FDR’s bill of rights. In the Bill of Rights it states that an individual has the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health (Bill of Rights). This means that any individual regardless of who they are has these rights yet there are still people out there who aren’t given these rights. As a younger sister and cousin I have seen the females in my life have healthy babies. I know that they were given the best healthcare possible and as happy as that makes me, I know that isn’t the case for everyone. As a society we are not providing healthcare to everyone like the Bill of Rights states. This neoliberal healthcare system isn’t even thinking about the fact that not everyone has health insurance. They don’t even realize their system is going against what the Bill of Rights states because they are much rather concerned about profits. I see how happy the females in my life are with their babies and I know not everyone gets to experience that happiness due to the lack of care. I look at my nephew and think how this tiny human already has my heart and I can’t wait to see him grow up. Babies all around the world deserve the chance to grow up and be healthy. As medical providers their job is to help anyone that comes to them. They should not be denying to help any woman that is pregnant regardless of their race. Young kids should have insurance and access to healthcare regardless of their parents financial status. There are babies out there who are born with immune diseases and they need to be constantly treated in order to continue living. However not every parent can afford those costs and that’s where the question comes can we even keep our child alive? There are obstacles present which prevent babies from getting the care that they need. This is why as a society we need to open up our eyes to these problems and become more aware. Once hospitals and medical providers are aware of the fact that not everyone has health insurance something needs to be done to change. The first step would be changing the neoliberal healthcare system. Healthcare systems need to stop thinking about the profits that patients bring in, but rather are we helping the people they need it. The questions they need to think about consist of: are they giving a baby another chance at life or are they just letting a baby pass away? The healthcare system needs to look hard and reevaluate their priorities.

In order to solve this problem there needs to be action taken by healthcare providers and the staff working in the hospitals. The first step to solve this problem is to be educated about the racial disparities. There was training from the Racial Equity Institute ​which included sessions on racial disparities documented in the national cancer registry and the roles of racial bias and gatekeeping in health care (Ortiz). This was needed so the people working in hospitals can understand how people of color felt mistreated. Healthcare shouldn’t be based on who you are but sadly that is the case in the United States so the health care workers need to realize that. If health care workers can accept there is a problem with the way they are treating people of color they can make that change. They need to be conscious of their actions and make the choice to not discriminate. The healthcare system is set up to be neoliberal but healthcare workers and providers have the option to go against that system. They have the choice to treat all types of people and give babies that healthy life. African American women may go into preterm labor but they should still be able to trust their doctors knowing that they are in good hands. People of color should not have to think about the mistreatment they get because good treatment should be universal. For some health care providers they are just used to providing treatment to white people because that is the type of environment they have worked in. For healthcare providers they need to learn about the racial inequalities in order for their horizons to be broadened. Just like we have learned so much about the inequalities this quarter they need to do the same because sometimes it just comes down to they simply are not educated. As health care workers they are just used to treating sickness in patients and in children, but they can work with patients movements to prevent certain illnesses from happening. They need to educate their patients and children on how to take care of themselves and make the choice to have a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes tiny choices towards a healthier lifestyle is what protects people from becoming sick and other diseases later down the line.

This gap of discriminatory healthcare needs to stop growing. In this day and age where African Americans, Latinos and the economically disadvantaged experience poorer health care access and lower quality of care than white Americans (Pearl). The lack of treatment in healthcare needs to change for the better. There are families out there who need that extra help especially when it comes to providing their children with healthcare. Children should not be denied healthcare just because their parents don’t have the funds or because of their race. Children are vulnerable human beings that see the world in rainbow colors and depend on their parents to guide them through life while taking care of them. Healthcare workers and providers need to think if the roles were switched and they needed that help would they be able get it with the way the healthcare system is structured. The saying “treat others how you want to be treated” can be used in this situation because the way healthcare workers discriminate against other races is not acceptable. They should be treating every patient with the same respect and quality that any individual deserves. There are so many babies born on a daily basis and they all should be getting the best treatment possible because they have loved ones that are waiting to give them the best life possible. Health care workers need to be reminded why they chose to become doctors. It was not because of the money aspect, but rather because they wanted to save lives. Every person's life is important and they should be treated like that. The mistreatment needs to stop babies should not be dying because their moms aren’t getting the proper prenatal or postpartum care. As a future doctor I hope I can treat any patient with the care they deserve and make them see not all doctors mistreat patients based on race. Anyone that comes into the healthcare system needs to be coming for the right reasons while being educated about the racial disparities. These racial disparities within the health care system will only disappear once we recognize this is an issue and come up with ways to get rid of it.

Works Cited

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. “State of the Union 1944 (The Second Bill of Rights).”

“America's Extreme Neoliberal Healthcare System Is Putting the Country at Risk | Adam Gaffney.” ​The Guardian,​ Guardian News and Media, 21 Mar. 2020.

Robert Pearl, M.D. “Why Health Care Is Different If You're Black, Latino Or Poor.” ​Forbes,​ Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2015.

Martha Hostetter and Sarah Klein. “In Focus: Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care by Confronting Racism.” ​Commonwealth Fund,​ 27 Sept. 2018.

Stefoff, Rebecca, and Howard Zinn. ​A Young People's History of the United States: Columbus to the War On Terror.​ New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009. Print.

“UNNATURAL CAUSES: About the Series . Episode Descriptions: CALIFORNIA NEWSREEL.” ​UNNATURAL CAUSES | About the Series . Episode Descriptions | CALIFORNIA NEWSREEL.