Thread

Someone posted something about racial discrimination in healthcare. It is real and it happens right here in our beloved SA.

We are a racialised country and why would it not happen. It sadly feels very violent, to me, in the public sector.

Many years ago we treated a white male who was very ill and we could not quite put our finger on it. A man of advanced age and a farmer.

We suggested to the senior in the team that we do an HIV test which was almost routine at that stage because our country prevalence.

The senior was a white man as well- he ANGRILY dismissed this suggestion. The same would insist on an HIV test on any black person whatever ails them.

Arrghh we decided to not listen- did the test and it was positive- CD4 count very low.

We shared the information in a ward round- he was even angrier and the racism that came out of that interaction was flagrant.

The dilemma came when a decision had to be made about de-escalation of care. The protocol excluded HIV positive patients with that CD4 count.

The rules were changed. Madala was going to be the exception.

I said at beginning of COVID19 that the crisis is because middle class is affected and y’all know what I mean. Once they are less affected then we will see SA return to itself.

The urgency for care and control will be less. Black patients are used to an overwhelmed healthcare system and they have died on floors of overcrowded healthcare facilities.

Nothing will be new, when the numbers of COVID19 are overwhelming and there are no hospital beds.

And before you come at me sideways- consider that I have been in the public sector in three provinces for more than 10 years before I opted out of it.