(ThyBlackMan.com) It looks as if African Americans cannot get any respite from racism irrespective of their education, stature and wealth. Most recently, a black doctor who had tested positive for Covid-19 accused the Indiana University North Hospital of racist treatment. Just a few days later, she died. The Hospital has promised an independent external review of the case. However, it seems more like a futile exercise to quell growing concerns over the disproportionately high rates of African Americans death from Covid-19.
The Case of the Black Doctor
The doctor, Susan Moore, had accused the white doctor who was treating her of downplaying her illness and pain. She said that the doctor had refused to do more for her to alleviate the pain and said she would be discharged. What reason could there be that the doctor would have not to provide her with additional pain relief? Susan remarked in a video she generated; that she was made to feel like a drug addict by the attending physician, as he said to her that he was not comfortable prescribing more pain relief medicine. After being discharged, only 12 hours later, she returned to another hospital after her health deteriorated. Later, she died.
Susan uploaded a video on her Facebook page, where she described her experience. Her video is indeed difficult to watch and even more harrowing to imagine what she went through. Unfortunately, it is not an isolated case. African Americans have been on the receiving end of the pandemic ever since it started. But the pandemic is just a recent example. The Black community in America has long been facing institutional racism in every sphere of human life. The medical sector is no exception.
Even now, some in the medical community believe that black people do not feel pain in the same way as whites. If someone thinks like this in the 21st century, it is not at all difficult to concur what the black community must face when they seek medical treatment. As a freelance journalist and African American male I am appalled! Dr Susan Moore perfectly summed up the plight of the black community, “I put forth and maintain, if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that.” “This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home, and they don’t know how to fight for themselves.”
Institutional Racism in the US Medical Sector
As mentioned earlier, Moore’s death is not an isolated case. In reality, there are countless examples of African Americans receiving lower quality of care from their doctors as compared to their white counterparts. In a previous article, Means of Reducing the Infant Mortality Rate for Black Women; this writer eluded to, through research, how the infant mortality rate is tilted negatively against black mothers. In a country as developed as the United States, African Americans have 10.8 deaths per 1000 births. On the other hand, the national infant mortality rate is just 5.8 deaths per 1000 births.
In other words, black women are more prone to losing their baby than any other community in the United States. There are several underlying reasons for these dismal statistics including poor quality of care and socio-economic status. African Americans still do not have access to the same education levels or employment opportunities as whites. These factors prevent the black community from getting the same treatment as whites. In an upcoming book: Our Fault; the Infant Mortality Rate and the Black Community, this writer will take a closer look at these and other disparities in the medical/health field that Blacks have been subjected to. My pastor always says: “When you know better, you do better!” Stay tuned America! Let’s not allow the death of Dr. Susan Moore be in vain.
Staff Writer; Stanley G. Buford
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