“She has been so strong and hasn’t let out a single tear. On the contrary, she has been consoling me,” I overheard my father saying on the phone as he was sobbing. I remember being filled with dread because up until that point, I had never seen my father cry. Later that night my parents sat me down and informed me that my mother had a brain tumor. Her debilitating headaches should have told us something was very wrong, however we were too young to know any better. Nevertheless, we were assured that she would be fine once the lime-sized growth from her brain was removed. During her hospitalization and recovery, I was eager to have my healthy, independent mother back. Unfortunately, my vision was faulty and instead she came home depressed and …show more content…
We then learned further treatment was unachievable and over time, my mother began to lose her strength and mobility, which required us to place her in hospice care. As one of her caregivers, I helped to feed, groom, bathe, and assist her in the bathroom. During this time, it was disheartening to see my mother deteriorate, knowing that there was nothing further I could do. At age 14, I watched helplessly as my mother, and best friend, lost her battle with cancer. In my grief, my interest in the medical field intensified; I was determined to be there for other people who faced similar situations. I also wanted to do my part to prevent cancer so others would not have to suffer the pain of losing a loved …show more content…
Sadly, I also witnessed healthcare disparities on a large scale. Like my mother, many patients in Surat had to travel long distances from their villages to obtain affordable treatment. However, my mother's problem was strictly due to our low socioeconomic status. In contrast, the patients I met in India were not just poor, but also from rural locations that had limited medical care. During my internship, I realized that the inaccessibility of healthcare caused some patients to delay treatment, which affected their chance of a positive outcome. Moreover, the time and cost of traveling robbed these patients of their limited resources. Thereupon, I was determined to do my part to eliminate healthcare disparities and help the residents of underserved communities obtain the services they
“The only real nation is humanity” (Farmer 123). This quote represents a huge message that is received in, Tracy Kidder’s, Mountains Beyond Mountains. This book argues that universal healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Kidder’s book also shows the audience that every individual, no matter what the circumstances, is entitled to receive quality health care. In the book Kidder represents, Paul Farmer, a man who spends his entire life determined to improve the health care of impoverished areas around the world, namely Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. By doing this the audience learns of the horrible circumstances, and the lack of quality health care that nations like Haiti live with everyday, why every person has the right to healthcare no matter what, and how cost effectiveness should not determine whether or not these people get to live or die. Two texts that also argue this idea are Monte Leach’s “Ensuring Health Care as a Global Human Right,” and Darshak Sanghavi’s “Is it Cost Effective to Treat the World’s Poor.” Leach’s article is an interview with Benjamin Crème that illustrates why food, shelter, education, and healthcare are human rights that have to be available to everyone. He shares many of the same views on health care as Farmer, and the two also share similar solutions to this ongoing problem. Leach also talks about the rapidly growing aids epidemic, and how it must be stopped. Like farmer, he also argues that it is easier to prevent these diseases then to cure them. Furthermore, Sanghavi’s article represents many of the questions that people would ask about cost effectiveness. Yet similar to Farmer’s views, Sanghavi argues that letting the poor d...
Ever since I was in middle school I dreamed of working in the medical field. I realized nursing was the profession for me when my grandfather became terribly sick with lung cancer during my freshman year of high school. It puzzled me that one of the healthiest and most physically active people I knew could be afflicted by such a damaging disease. After watching my grandfather’s suffering and the pain my entire family felt from his death, I knew I wanted to go into a field to help others that are facing the same challenges. This is when I discovered all of the opportunities that a career in nursing could offer me.
I wished I could have helped her more, if just to better her last moments on Earth. With all my hours in clinical shadowing or volunteering, with all my coursework as a graduate student in biomedical engineering—I was not preparred for this. I was not ready to cope with the sense of powerlessness I felt that day.
Cancer is a deadly disease that millions of people die from a year. Many loved ones are killed with little to no warning affecting families across our world. My family happened to be one that was affected by this atrocious disease. This event changed the way my family members and I viewed cancer.
while, being as he was rushing to Cooper Hospital to see my mother. At this
Right to health is one of the basic human rights without distinction of ethnicity, religion, race or socio-economic conditions. As a consequence, all of people have the same right to the highest attainable standards of health both physically and mentally including access to various medical services with affordable and proper quality (WHO, 2008). Furthermore, the government should ensure the availability of health facilities to improve health conditions for all citizens. In fact, disparities in access to health services often occur in many countries (Barten, Mitlin, Mulholland, Hardoy, & Stern, 2007). One of the main factors that trigger such
My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the time, so when she became sick, I had to become her aid. Every day after school, I would have to do my homework and then tend to my ailing mother via giving her medicine ...
My mom and I were on the front porch on night talking about nonsense, until we heard the stuttering of a car late at night. The car stopped in our driveway and then we found that it was my granny, she hated being called grandma it made her feel old, her long blonde going down her back turning her head towards her blue eyes looking at my mother. She called my mother to her car talking about she went to the doctor and they discovered cancer in her stomach. After my granny left the house my mom sat on the porch crying holding a piece of paper in her hands. She told me everything about the cancer where it was as she handed me the papers. I flip through the paper, as if I didn’t know what the word cancer like I didn’t know what cancer does to the body, I looked at my mom her face red with tears. I got up
Introduction: Disparities in health and health care have been a long standing challenge in the global community. Although they are taking place in some regions of developed countries, they are in fact, a primary concern for populations in developing countries. Health and health care disparities refer to circumstances in which a certain population lack the access of quality health care services and facilities, and ultimately expose them to various threats in the environment. Threats such as highly lethal pandemics from infections diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria) leave large populations vulnerable to death. Factors that lead to this inequity is the country’s poverty, lack of infrastructure, lack of awareness, etc.
Today most people have an easy and affordable access to health care. People of almost all ages are benefiting fully from the government national health care system. However, some people still face some problems trying to obtain the basic health care services. Individuals from poor and racial minorities usually become misrepresented crippling their efforts to get access to adequate access to medical care.
Everything began several years ago, when my grandmother was diagnosed with a disease called ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This terrible disease affects the path of neurons to the central nervous system, leading to paralysis. After a long battle, she sadly passed away and our family grieved for the loss of a mother, wife, and grandmother. This is a loss that I still feel, but every day I aspire to be like her. She was incredibly caring, and always thought of others.
In addition, the cost of medical care for impoverished people has seen significant increases due to physician diagnosis. Also in Fields and Taylor’s book, social inequality characterizes the quality of health and the quality of health care. People from disadvantaged social backgrounds are more likely to become ill and to receive inadequate health care. In addition, partly to increase their incomes, physicians have tried to control the practice of medicine and to define social problems as medical problems. The list is endless for people who do not receive adequate healthcare and the practices which prevent are more often times than not result from unethical practices by doctors.
India is an emerging economy with the population more than one billion. The basis for the organization of health services in India through the primary health care was laid by the recommendations provided by the ‘Health Survey and Development Committee’ (Bhore Committee) in 1946.5 Since then, with a gradual increase in economy, technology, literacy rate, insurance schemes and various reforms in health policies have brought enormous improvements both in public and private health sectors.
The tumor was a “Brain Stem Glioma” (Surgery is not an option, because the brain stem controls vital life functions and can easily be damaged”. I saw the hopelessness in her eyes and thought about the story my grandmother told me. I had to put hope back into this sweet little angel’s eyes. She laid there asleep on the cold slab in the operating room that smelled of a strong disinfectant chemical that pierced the nose and overwhelmed one’s sense of smell.
Access to healthcare means a timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes (IOM, 1993) In order for this to happen there are distinct steps ensuring the access to health care is provided. To ensure accessing a health care facility where needed services are provided and to find a health care provider that the patient can communicate and trust their care (Bierman, Margari, Jetta, 1997). Dealing with disparities in able to access health care services can affect the individuals and the society they live in. With limited access to health care services has put an impact on people’s ability to reach their potential and have a negative which affects their quality of life.