The Detrimental Effects of Racism on the Health of Indigenous Australians - Essay Example

The Detrimental Effects of Racism on the Health of Indigenous Australians Name Institutional Affiliation Media Portfolio: The Detrimental Effects of Racism on the Health of Indigenous Australians Introduction The major problems associated with health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians is closely related to racism that is deeply rooted in colonization, power, discrimination, and segregation. Achievements towards a culturally safe health system in Australia are barred by racism. Ineffective engagement between the Aboriginals and non-indigenous people allows racism to continue. Specifically, health problems among the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people include increased mortality rates (Aubusson, 2017), high death rates among the indigenous people, lowered life expectancy (Aubusson, 2017 & Caccetta, 2016), mental health issues (Caccetta, 2016) loss of trust in medical professionals among others. This essay analyses four current Australian based media articles concerned with effects of racism on Indigenous people health and wellbeing. It summarizes the key issues presented in each article, discusses links to unit modules and current debates, and providing a personal reflection on the issues presented. Media Item 1 Aubusson, K. (2017, March 16). Racism in the health system plagues efforts to close the gap for Indigenous people Australians, Report Shows. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/racism-in-the-health-system-plagues-efforts-to-close-the-gap-for-indigenous people-australians-report-shows-20170315-guyhz4.html Summary and Analysis of Key Points The release of the Closing Gap report has been attracting the attention of many including Ms. Rind, a Yamatji-Badimia woman. The report made an assessment of widespread discrimination in the health system and recommended for an inquiry into this widespread racism in the hospital and other healthcare institutions. According to this report, institutional racism results from health care practices, policies, health care funding regimes, and healthcare prejudices that affect Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people’s access to good care. This racism has led to limited Indigenous people-specific primary health services, inadequate funding, and hence increased price in the public health system. According to Aubusson (2017), there has been no progress on Aboriginal child mortality. Similarly, the Closing the Gap report shows that life expectancy of indigenous people is lower than that of non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is averagely 10-17 years. Indigenous Australians also have high rates of preventable diseases and chronic illness. This clearly shows that the government is failing in implementation of measures such as health equality despite being one of the agreed national priorities. Following placement within the health system, Ms. Rind saw senior staff overlook the symptoms of easily preventable health conditions among indigenous people patients. In fact, one of her family members died of meningococcal after the doctor treated his conditions as a run-of-the-mill fever. Indigenous Australians have become uncomfortable going to health services to be treated by non-Indigenous people health workers because they lack trust based on the past and the current situation of racial discrimination. Close the gap report recommended for the implementation of coordinated partnerships and strategies by the federal, territory and state governments. These will take into account the cultural and social determinants of health. It is also necessary to initiate a national inquiry into racism in all health care facilities by the federal government to identify and end racism’s effect on the Indigenous people patients’ health. Links to Models, Approaches and Current Debate As discussed in Module 1 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), the external systems of mainstream health care do not allow indigenous people cultural systems to operate freely. This is because the external systems have not developed practices that can support as well as validate these cultural systems. According to Module 2 Topic 2 (HSC203, Learning Materials, 2017), policies and programs specific to Indigenous people’s health at any point in history have been influenced by the dominant political ideology of the government. Therefore, the external systems of mainstream health care have continued to dominate the cultural systems instead of the recommended equality. Majorly, the challenges faced by Indigenous Australians are closely connected to contemporary and historical racism, oppression, and colonization. According to Priest, et al (n.d), racism in Australia undermines the wellbeing and health of the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people. As a result, redressing the issue of racism has become Australia’s national priority. In addition, Aubusson (2017) notes that the Australian Indigenous people Doctors Association has recently become forefront in advocating for the adoption of a zero-tolerance approach to racism by the health sector. The association recognizes racism as a strong barrier towards a culturally safe health system achievement. Ineffective engagement between the Aboriginals and non-indigenous people allows racism to continue. Therefore, health workers at every level need to undergo training on cultural sensitivity in order to work more effectively with the Indigenous people communities. Personal Reflection This article presents a lot of information on how racism in the health system plagues efforts to close the gap for Indigenous Australians. Racial discrimination has invaded most external systems such as policies and funding regimes, as well as healthcare practices. It has led to the loss of trust of the Aboriginals in the health care system making them avoid visiting health care systems and also delaying treatments. The most important concept taken from this article is that racism in Australia negatively affects the well-being and health of Australia’s Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people. Media Item 2 Caccetta, W. (2016, November 17). Racism a life and death issue, warns health professor. National Indigenous people Times. http://nit.com.au/racism-life-death-issue-warns-health-professor/ Summary and Analysis of Key Points According to Caccetta (2016), racism is still an ongoing issue in the Australian society and contributes a lot to the Indigenous people ill health. Racism can be institutional, cultural, direct or any other kind of racism. Direct racism makes people feel that they are sub-humans. Institutional racism results from colonization keeping indigenous people segregated and poor. This racism has had negative impacts on the wellbeing and health of the Aboriginals. Some of these impacts include: people are not going to preventive services; they have astronomical rates of mental health issues, and they don’t feel like they can access help and even if they did, they don’t feel that the help is going to be of any good. This article also discusses the Aboriginals Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project report commissioned by the federal government. The is argued to provide a new blueprint aimed at improving suicide prevention programs and services for Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginals people based on culturally-appropriate and community-led services. This report also contains a section that deals with racism within Australia’s health systems showing interpersonal racism being at a higher rate especially from the health services staff. All these racist actions have contributed to an institutional barrier to indigenous people getting health care help. Different hospital outcomes for non-indigenous and Indigenous people, as well as a 10-year life expectancy gap between the two groups, serves as an indicator for a system that is not working for Indigenous people. The proposed solution to racism is to provide more Indigenous people-led services and programs. It should be ensured that the mainstream services take responsibility in making sure their services are culturally appropriate. This can be achieved by getting some reconciliation plans and elements for any new service to ensure that Aboriginals are included on the boards, ensure that Aboriginals are employed in such services, and make sure that the non-indigenous people staff attend cultural confidence training. Links to Models, Approaches and Current Debate As discussed in Module 1 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), cultural safety attempts to address the question of the misuse of, or ignorance about, the power relationship between health professionals and their clients. Cultural safety helps health professionals to recognize the limitations their cultural beliefs impose on their practice with clients of other cultures. The unsafety of the health system characterized by racism, in this case, is deeply rooted in people’s inability to acknowledge and legitimize cultural difference. This is the reason why non-Indigenous people health care service providers need to attend cultural confidence training. Module 3 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017) outlines a connection between culture, identity, and health. The experience of working as a health professional in culturally diverse health service contexts is quite interesting and stressful process. People working within another culture need to recognize that bringing their own cultural assumptions will obviously affect their treatment and care to their clientele. The partnership model discussed in Module 4 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017) can help in orienting professional towards developing a collaborative and equal partnership with clients, focusing on strengths and capabilities of the client, family, and community. According to Module 1 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), the challenges faced by Indigenous Australians are closely connected to contemporary and historical racism, oppression, and colonization. The external systems of mainstream health are invaded with racism and do not allow indigenous people cultural systems to operate freely. Personal Reflection This article provides a quick glance at how racism is life threatening among the Aboriginal Australians. Racism affects the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people in various wars: people find it difficult to go for preventive services; high rates of mental health issues; and they don’t feel like they can access help and even if they did, they don’t feel that the help is going to be of any good. The most important concept from this article is its recommended solution to racism. Cultural safety aims at providing more Indigenous people-led services and programs. It should be ensured that the mainstream services take responsibility in making sure their services are culturally appropriate. Media Item 3 Lavelle, C. (2017, February 2). When the race gets in the way of good health. Special Broadcasting Service. http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/health/article/2017/02/01/comment-when-race-gets-way-good-health Summary and Analysis of Key Points Entrenched racism lies at the bottom of the need for better indigenous people health services, indigenous people hospital liaison officers, and cultural awareness training for medical professionals. This article presents a case where the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people are stereotyped. Some of them are refused help from the hospital, being faced with doctors that do not believe them thinking that they just lie to get some drugs to abuse, and being considered as drinkers and smokers because of their race. According to Lavelle (2017), the health service providers overlook the Aboriginals health conditions and sometimes denied pain relief claiming that the Indigenous people have a higher pain threshold. For example, the author has a brain tumor that ends up affecting both eyes. When the ambulance was called, the paramedic insisted asking questions about his health and overlooked brain tumor despite the fact that the patient had documentation of information for the health professional, listing all his hospital admissions and medications. On reaching the hospital, the patient is forced to wait for long without being offered immediate help. Indigenous people, people are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than non-Indigenous people. However, they have higher death rates in case diagnosed with one. This indicates the type of care they are offered in these health care systems. There have been cases of death of Indigenous people that are closely linked to racial discrimination. For example, in 2011, Masala Mosby died in Western Australia after being taken to hospital by her mother four times in five days. It is questionable whether this five-week-old girl would have had better treatment if she wasn’t Indigenous people. Two women have also died in Sydney emergency department and the cause of their death closely linked to discrimination. The article proposes a solution to this problem stating that the Indigenous people need people who know and understand them. They need to feel safe when they go to any hospital. They should be allowed to express themselves in languages they are more comfortable in other than English which many medical professionals expect them to use. Links to Models, Approaches and Current Debate Cultural safety discussed in Module 1 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), attempts to address the question of the misuse of, or ignorance about, the power relationship between health professionals and their clients. Cultural safety helps health professionals to recognize the limitations their cultural beliefs impose on their practice with clients of other cultures. People working within another culture need to recognize that bringing their own cultural assumptions will obviously affect their treatment and care to their clientele. The unsafety of the health system characterized by racism, in this case, is deeply rooted in medical professionals’ assumptions that the Aboriginals should be using only English. Racism strongly bars the achievement of a culturally safe health system (Aubusson 2017). Ineffective engagement between the Aboriginals and non-indigenous people allows racism to continue. One cannot get better if he/she feels unwelcome or unwanted in the hospital. As discussed in Module 3 Topic 2 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017) there exists a connection between culture, identity, and health. People working within another culture need to recognize that bringing their own cultural assumptions will obviously affect their treatment and care to their clientele. For example, the medical professionals in this article assume that the only language to be used in hospitals is English. Therefore, cultural training is important to create awareness of cultural diversity. Personal Reflection This article plays a significant role in explaining how racism has got in the way of good health. Racism is exhibited in this article through stereotyping and cultural unsafety. The most important concept obtained from this article is that racism hinders service delivery and makes people lose the trust of each other. The patient feels unsafe in the hands of non-Indigenous people medical professionals and the likewise the non-Indigenous people medical professionals find it difficult to believe that the Indigenous people are really in pain due to misconceptions. Media Item 4 Sweet, M., McCallum, K., & Geia, L. (2016, September 21). Acknowledge the brutal history of indigenous people health care – for healing. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/acknowledge-the-brutal-history-of-indigenous people-health-care-for-healing-64295 Summary and Analysis of Key Points This article introduces the lock hospitals and their traumatic impacts on the Indigenous people. The article starts with a trip to Dorre with Garrett, a musician, environmentalist, and politician. The path through which the boat traces reminds them of the lock hospitals on Bernier and Dorre islands. The operation of these lock hospitals was deeply rooted in the institutionalized racism of the White Australia. Lock hospitals were used in holding women from English garrison towns thought to be engaging in prostitution and had venereal disease. This was aimed at protecting the health of the soldiers without taking into consideration that of the prisoner-patients. However, this was done without a specific diagnosis, police and non-medical people were given the role of diagnosing and removing people forcefully and in chains. These facilities recorded high death rates. They were also interlinked with traumas of colonization such as removal of Aboriginal people as prisoners or witness and the removal of children. Policies and practices towards non-Indigenous people stood in stark contrast to the treatment of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people in during early 20th century. After the First World War, many states introduced a compulsory notification and treatment of venereal diseases for the general population. Non-Indigenous people patients were provided with free treatment and education. Centrally, the Aboriginals in lock hospitals of Queensland and WA provided penal rather than therapeutic conditions. This article serves to provide a history of medical incarceration that helps in opening a way forward with respect to health professions. It provides ways in which medical services can be provided to ensure effective health results for the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people, many whom continue to experience adverse and traumatizing experiences with health care. It also serves to acknowledge harmful healthcare policies, systems, and practices that segregated, institutionalized, excluded and harmed Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people. Links to Models, Approaches and Current Debate As discussed in Module 1 Topic 1 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), from the onset of colonization, indigenous people were subjected to pressures which have had disastrous effects on their health and wellbeing. Diseases were introduced to which Indigenous people had no immunity. On the same note, the indigenous people were removed and placed in lock Hospitals where more than 700 Aboriginals met their death. Module 2 Topic 1 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), outlines the disastrous consequences of colonization on the health of the Indigenous people. Colonization led to separation of families, loss of social cohesion, inadequate and inappropriate health, and establishment of oppressive lock hospitals among many other problems As discussed in Module 1 Topic 2 and 3 (HSC203 Learning Materials, 2017), there exists a relationship between power, racism, discrimination and health. The colonial government used its powers to put in place discriminating, segregating, and oppressive health policies upon the Indigenous people. The majority of Indigenous people ended up in Lock hospitals without a specific diagnosis. Racism portrays itself after First World War when the non-Indigenous people were offered free treatment and education while the Aboriginals were provided with penal. Personal Reflection The most important concept learned from this article is that colonization, power, discrimination and racism, negatively impact health and wellbeing of a community. Power is used in setting out policies and programs that sometimes might turn out to be oppressive and discriminative hence promoting racism. Conclusion Racism in Australia negatively affects the well-being and health of the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people. It hinders service delivery and makes people lose the trust of each other. Power is used in setting out policies and programs that sometimes might turn out to be oppressive and discriminative hence promoting racism. Cultural safety aims at providing more Indigenous people-led services and programs. It should be ensured that the mainstream services take responsibility in making sure their services are culturally appropriate . References Aubusson, K. (2017, March 16). Racism in the health system plagues efforts to close the gap for Indigenous people Australians, Report Shows. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/racism-in-the-health-system-plagues-efforts-to- close-the-gap-for-indigenous people-australians-report-shows-20170315-guyhz4.html Caccetta, W. (2016, November 17). Racism a life and death issue, warns health professor. National Indigenous people Times. Retrieved from http://nit.com.au/racism-life-death-issue- warns-health-professor/ Lavelle, C. (2017, February 2). When race gets in the way of good health. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved from http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/health/article/2017/02/01/comment-when-race-gets-way-good-health Priest, N., Paradies, Y Gunthorpe, W., Cairney, S., and Sayers, S. (n.d).Racism as a determinant of social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal Australian youth Med J Aust 2011; 194(10): 546-550. Retrieved from https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/194/10/racism-determinant-social-and-emotional-wellbeing-aboriginal-australian-youth Sweet, M., McCallum, K., & Geia, L. (2016, September 21). Acknowledge the brutal history of indigenous people health care – for healing. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/acknowledge-the-brutal-history-of-indigenous people-health-care- for-healing-64295 Read More