While adequate measures have been developed to promote equality and inclusivity in healthcare institutions, there is still the existence of systematic inequalities that limit access to quality care by individuals from minority populations. Healthcare services are a fundamental right of human beings, ensuring everyone has access to equal and quality healthcare services, which is crucial for promoting their well-being. I believe that the systematic injustices in healthcare are rooted basically in elements such as racism, gender inequality, and geographical inequalities, requiring immediate measures to successfully stop and advocate for healthcare institutions that foster equality and inclusivity.
One systematic injustice that continues to persist in healthcare institutions is racism. Individuals who are racialized as less valuable are disproportionately devalued and provided with different treatment in health care services, among other situations, finding it challenging to access required health care services that would improve their well-being. For example, African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups in the United States experience higher rates of illness, including hypertension, obesity, and potential death rates, which leads to increased rates of death as they face barriers to timely and adequate medical care (CDC). To fully eliminate racism in healthcare institutions, it is important to unite and advocate for the provision of healthcare services that are based on empathy and equality.
Another systematic injustice in healthcare institutions is geographical disparities, particularly among rural residents. Rural and marginalized communities encounter barriers to timely care, including limited access to healthcare institutions, shortage of healthcare providers, financial problems, and lack of suitable infrastructure like roads to help them reach healthcare institutions and receive quality care (Kaiser and Barstow). These geographical disparities hinder rural access to quality and timely medical care, hence low health outcomes. However, to fully address such disparities, healthcare organizations like the National Association for Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) should ensure the availability of healthcare services in rural areas by advocating for cost-effective medical services and an increased workforce of healthcare providers in rural areas.
Moreover, gender disparity is another systematic problem that continue to persist in healthcare institutions. According to Tesha et al., the mortality of women during their pregnancy and childbirth occurs due to a lack of opportunities for available skilled healthcare and emergency services. Unequal treatment, including lack of equal access to educational and healthcare services, often exists against women in societies where they have lesser status than men. Moreover, in societies that position men as superior to their female counterparts, incidences on the part of women of violence, discrimination, and no-choice realization are often experienced and interfere with their drive for health services. Policies such as the strict law against instances of discrimination and the punitive measures ruling against committed violence should all be put forward to fully eliminate such retrogressive acts of discrimination, promoting equal access to healthcare services.
In conclusion, while there has been the development of significant measures to promote equality and inclusivity in healthcare institutions, systematic injustices such as gender inequalities, racism, and geographical differences continue to persist. However, through collective efforts, we can help to promote a society that fosters equality regardless of disparities in gender groups and ethnic groups. Including healthcare organizations like NARHC is crucial in promoting equal access to healthcare services in rural areas, fostering an inclusive healthcare system that prioritizes equity and is free from any form of systematic injustice.
Works Cited
CDC. “Racism and Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Nov. 2021, www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/racism-disparities/index.html.
Kaiser, Noah, and Christina K. Barstow. “Rural Transportation Infrastructure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of Impacts, Implications, and Interventions.” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 4, 14 Feb. 2022, p. 2149, www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/4/2149, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042149.
Tesha, Jane, et al. The Role of Gender Inequities in Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Services: A Population-Level Study of Simiyu Region Tanzania. Vol. 23, no. 1, 9 June 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15839-w.
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