Social Injustice for Public Health

Question: Writean essay on Social Injustice for Public Health. Answer: Social injustice: The mission of public health has justice as its core value. Helping people is irrespective of their origin, race, creed, caste, education, income is the basis of work for every health care professional. Social injustice is those discrepancies one experiences that involve treatment of people by Racism, poverty, access to healthcare, labor laws, civil rights, access to education. All people are born equal and have the right to live their lives without any oppression from fellow human being. Health disparities are systematic that is they can be avoided if appropriate steps are taken by the authorities to ensure fair treatment of all people. Effective public policies should be in place with clear and contextually relevant. It should support the development of objectives that help educate the people against social injustice. One group of individuals should not get preferences while another group of people gets ignored. The cause of these injustices practiced by some people is the fear or phobia of foreign entities. Targeting specifically children or those of growing age with education and teaching them to live in harmony, is a way to eliminate the social injustice (Sullivan, 2012). The situation of social injustice: A study conducted at Kentucky hospitals in 1995, found that the people who were uninsured were least likely to be treated or admitted to the hospital, even if they have a head injury ranging from mild to moderate. People who had insurance were likely to be admitted and treated. The poor patients were treated by house-officers while privately insured patients were treated by attending doctors. Social injustice while treating African-American patients, they were given less priority than the white patients were. A privately insured person complaining of chest pain were more likely to have a full checkup with tests done like Angiography, Bypass-surgery chest X-Ray or MRI. One of the disturbing things that were noticed was the in- hospital death rates of the uninsured patients. The uninsured patients were less likely to go for high cost treatment. The scenario of social justice was prevalent in times of giving analgesics to patients. Analgesics provided to the patients of African-American , Hispanic origin were inadequate than the white patients. Catheterization is another procedure where biases occur between a patient of other origin and a white patient. These biases at times are life threatening. Biases are difficult to target since admittance to biases is rare, no physician would like to express dislike for minority patient, and even fewer healthcare professionals would admit to their altered practices when dealing with a minority patient. (Sullivan, 2012). Biases in the hospital management force noninsured patients to wait for long hours for treatment while an insured patient gets treatment at emergencies (Murray et al., 2013) Analysis of the health consequences for the client: Biases in treatment can cause fatal mistakes that can result in a loss of life or permanent damage. The family of the person may not be able to press charges, but their faith in the health care system will be shaken. Such instances cause the minority population to begin to doubt their value in the society. This gives rise to increasing bitterness between the minority people. Harmony in society tumbles. Health factor kept far away from biases, and social injustices are of paramount importance (Krieger, 2016). Your response as the caregiver or observer of caregiver/health provider responses to the social injustice: As a caregiver or a healthcare professional, it is important to keep personal feelings regarding minority, poor, uninsured people away from the workplace. Professionalism should be maintained, and care and treatment should be given to all people.It is the duty of all health care professional to be devoid of any prejudices, judgment. If a healthcare professional sees any such activities taking place, it is the responsibility of the person to stop it and provide quality treatment to the patients (Krieger, 2016). The Christian worldview and faith perspectives: According to Christian faith, all people are equal; it is based on a universal principle that embraces all religions, people, social structures along with their history, arts and the disciplines regarding humanitarian application and discipline of life (Sulmasy, 2016). Analysis of your identity, power, privilege and oppression influence your viewpoint and reactions: As a health care professional, some powers are invested in the person. He or she can put a stop at these mal-practices by educating fellow professional. To help treat the minority people. Committees and subcommittees are made and notified when such incident are taken place. The discipline in a hospital or a medical institution should be maintained, and disciplinary action should be taken against the perpetrators to wan further discrimination (Awosogba et al., 2013). Strategies to respond to the social injustice: Notifying higher authority. Having discussions and intervention with the people practicing such malpractices. Understanding of mentality of fellow professional and providing personal insight about the value of equality. Treat people with care irrespective of their origin or financial status. Government representatives are notified so that social reforms can be brought about for bringing harmony in the society (De Andrade et al., 2015). Specific strategies that can be used to respond to the identified social injustice: All people should be treated equally. Healthcare should be provided to increase the productivity of the people. Nondiscrimination based on race or ethnic group increases the feeling of harmony. Right to health care increases the standard of living for all people. Appropriate health care helps to overcome social disadvantage. Elimination of health disparity is a sign of a developed society (Falk-Rafael Betker, 2012). Two specific actions to respond to the injustice: Counseling- of people helps to reduce the inherent discrimination one harbors towards another person from different social background. Disease Health event investigation- awareness of people about a healthy society by showing data and other investigations regarding health issues that can spread from the minority to others if not addressed. (Falk-Rafael Betker, 2012) Relevant collaborators: The government, non-governmental agencies, Community services as well as individual programs can collaborate in the elimination of social injustices. Resources are required to implement strategies: The government can help with funding programs to increase awareness. 2. Interventions organized to help educate people against discrimination. 3. Strict implementation of government rules and regulation (De Andrade et al., 2015). Barriers that interfere with responding effectively to the social injustice: Prejudices against people. 2. Hardcore beliefs and attitudes. 3. Less knowledge about each other. 4. Difference in skill and method of work. 5. Language problems (Mason et al., 2013). Strengths that will contribute reducing the effects of the social injustice: Strength of will, determination to help achieve harmony among people is the value that helps in reducing social injustice. Leaders and policy makers implementing strict laws and regulation for reducing social injustice. Changes in the mindset of leaders, common people, and others in places of power and influence contribute reducing effects of social injustice (Benfer, 2015). Reference: Awosogba, T., Betancourt, J. R., Conyers, F. G., Estap, E. S., Francois, F., Gard, S. J., ... Pomeroy, C. (2013). Prioritizing health disparities in medical education to improve care. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1287(1), 17-30. Benfer, E. A. (2015). Health Justice: A Framework (and Call to Action) for the Elimination of Health Inequity and Social Injustice. American University Law Review, 65(2). De Andrade, L. O. M., Pellegrini Filho, A., Solar, O., Rgoli, F., de Salazar, L. M., Serrate, P. C. F Atun, R. (2015). 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