Racism in medicine | DW Documentary
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- čas přidán 20. 02. 2024
- More than a quarter of the population of Germany has a migrant background. Many report that they have received substandard care from doctors and hospitals. Is the healthcare system afflicted by racism?
This documentary hears from people who’ve been turned away or received inadequate care in a medical emergency; from midwives who report on racism in the delivery room; from students who criticize teaching according to white norms; as well as from doctors who reflect on the problem.
The film shows just how dangerous conscious or unconscious racism in the healthcare sector can be. Its findings are based on the results of the first representative study on the issue in Germany, published in November 2023 by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research.
The fact is: Even today, the term ‘Morbus Mediterraneus’ still circulates in the healthcare sector, which is intended to describe "exaggerated suffering in southerners". Standard medical equipment doesn’t always function reliably when used on dark-skinned patients. And many doctors have never learned that some diseases can be diagnosed differently depending on whether the person is Black or White. The medical norm, even in textbooks, is still the white, western European patient. This can result in misdiagnosis and the serious worsening of symptoms.
Take the case of Remziye T. from Lower Saxony: Her infected heart valve went undiscovered for a long time because doctors didn’t take her pain seriously enough. When the problem was eventually correctly diagnosed, it was too late for medical treatment. Now Remziye T. has to live with a mechanical heart valve: the operation has left her unable to walk properly and she is no longer able to work.
Dr. Bismarck Ofori allowed the camera team to film in his Hanover surgery. Many of the patients who attend the Black doctor’s practice have a migrant background. They tell him they’ve not been taken seriously in other surgeries; some of them were even brusquely turned away. In Ofori’s treatment room, it’s evident that careful diagnosis and overcoming language barriers in the process costs time and money. Not that language is the only obstacle to making a correct diagnosis. The pulse oximeter, for example, a device used to measure the blood’s oxygen content, can be less accurate when used on patients with darker skin. But this is not systematically taught at medical school.
The healthcare system is only just beginning to unpack the issue of racism and its impact. But many doctors, medical students, midwives and a medical historian have spoken out - addressing a problem that, in the worst-case scenario, can have fatal consequences.
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Ghana 🇬🇭 Doctor Bismark Ofori taking care of business and doing the right thing for the people discriminated against. Kudos Doc ✌🏿👏🏿🙏🏿🇬🇭
The saddest thing is the people who practice this kind of hatred don't even watch documentaries likes this.
Nope. We have them in the States too
@@lowwastehighmelanin Having them doesn't mean everyone's watching them.
The saddest thing is that 25% of people in Germany aren’t Germans. The country won’t even exist in a few decades
I watch them. And I don’t care.
But we, the ones who stop them, do
Thank you for that African doctor. The only thing that will change is more Africans taking charge and being the support for the community.
The doctor isn't a african, he is clearly a black german/afro-german. Greetings from Frankfurt :)
@@geranienbaum77% of black doctors in the US are of Nigerian origin, mostly those that came to study there because of the common academic language(roughly 4,000 doctors). Those chances to become who you want to be isn’t everywhere!
What? Take charge where? Not in your country?
I’m immigrant, and yes there are racist doctors and racist professionals everywhere and that’s awful. But it’s Germany and German professionals should build a country not someone who came here for economical reasons.
@@mosesm6040that’s untrue. They have Africans from all over Africa. T is not 77% that are Nigerians. Where are you getting your statistics from???
@@khrystynahrynkevych7440you sound insane.
They gave the right to definitively take charge in the healthcare. No racist person should have that pier. Also did Caucasian not overtake America, South Africa and Australia for example?
They said take charge, not take over Germany.
Personally, I’ve not been to a German hospital in 4 years but I had an ugly experience when my friend fell ill. She was told she was pretending and that there’s no pain. Later she was kept on pain killers for 5 days and told to go home. It was a friend, an African pharmacist who saw her in pain at my house, that prescribed a medication that eventually stopped the pain. It was a fucking ulcer yet she was kept in the hospital for 5 days with nothing.
And on ORAL painkillers, I assume.
Why live in a country where you are not welcome??!!??
@@radjsson2023why is it so hard for certain white people (like yourself for instance) to respect others who doesn't have the same skin colour and ethnicity?
@radjsson2023 Moroon! Why don't you start by asking the Boers in South Africa why they remain there even when they can return to Holland and moreover are not welcome by many in South Africa??
People choose to live in a country for various reasons,is that too much for your brain 🧠 to process?
@@radjsson2023 as if your kind never travel to other countries.
I have learned German for several months due to I wanted work as a medical doctor there. I changed my mind when I realised the massive scale of racism and discrimination in Germany.
Please don’t focus too much on it. Concentrate on your goals and develop a tough skin. I am black doctor in Germany and I have worked here for 10 years. The goal is always the focus. All the best
@@Abim8As a black man u need to be strong is every where!
Please don’t give up, you will be able to help people who are turned away and needs medical diagnosis. You can make this change by treating everyone seriously. 🙏
Please don't give up, the community needs you!
Actually I was surprised how well I got treated there compared to the USA. It was far better than any doctor I encountered in the USA.
As an asian brazilian woman, it was horrible to go through the pandemic in Germany. I was mistreated at clinics starting from the secretaries.I prayed every day I would not get covid, because I would be left to die by those racists doctors and hospitals.
Should’ve stayed in Brazil
@@vincentvanmeow why you come to a documentary like this to make those comments? It is enough that people go through it silently in this society, now I can't even comment here? Oh, by the way, your comment is not even original. Maybe you germans learn it at school because there is a patern.
@@natalia24181 why do you come to Germany if you dislike Germans? Are you just seeking benefits from other people?
@@natalia24181
Don't let @vincentvanmeow upset you. It's a sad reality, but racism is a virus that will never go away. As a black man, I just accept that fact and act accordingly.
@@natalia24181 tell him to send those germans in brazil to where they came from, they dont even speak portugese, you have as much right to be in germany as the blonde germans. tell him to stick it in his ....
With the history of Germany, as a society there should be extra ordinary awareness of racism.
Sadly, there’s not
Same goes for ever other country. Racism isn't a German problem only. Genocide didn't only happen here.
@@isabelc2131Humans have some instincts that have been formed during the evolutionary process, one of which is tribalism and distrust and fear of anyone who is not similar to themselves. Therefore, if there is diversity, "racism" is inevitable, it does not matter who is the majority and who is the minority there, if many Europeans immigrated to Africa, they would experience similar things. We can alleviate and control racism and violence by prohibiting them with laws, but it will never be possible to eliminate them completely unless the structure and texture of the universe changes, because the source of these emotions is our natural instincts and has been in every period of history.
I disagree with this comment and documentary. They treated my dad well . The healthcare system is now more under pressure like the past . Of course we saw few racist nurses . But anger is the issue usually
@@metallicroostersailor8105 I agree with you.
The other day the lady at the University Hospital in Bonn, behaved so rudely just because I couldn't speak English. I got the appointment waiting for 3 months and they clearly said, "we speak English as well". How do you turn down patients just because someone couldn't speak your language? And she said, "What are you doing in Germany?". It wasn't very comfortable but that is how 95 percent of the people are. Language cannot be a barrier when it comes to giving you treatment right?
Similar things happen in Kassel. If you don't speak Deutsch these old folks turn you away. One young lady told me she speaks very good English but the old lady at the reception has warned her not to speak English to people who don't speak Deutsch.
To be honestly how can you live in a land not speaking the national launguage ..but counting money from banks is possible . WE Africans WE blame ourselfs much ..😂😂
@judyroth5461 It is your opinion, I don't know your country of origin. when it comes to languages, Africans are very good at it. We easily pick languages on the streets. Most Africans are multi lingual.
Besides, it takes time to learn a new language and can not be a sensible reason to deny someone health care.
Don't condone a crime against humanity. The issue is systemic, all races are facing this challenge. Turkish, Arabs, polish, asians, Hungarians, etc.
This mindset of yours is very disappointing.
People have invested time and money in learning the language. But it takes time to be fluent. How many Germans leaving in Africa can speak the local language. When you get fcked up by the system one day, remember this post.
My mom doesn't speak Italian well and we often experience criticism, hatred and negligence in hospitals and at the doctor...even tho Italian is my first language and I'm always there with her as "translator"!
The other day, a young lady who just gave birth through cesario, talked me about her experience at the Italian hospital she went and about how differently she was treated by the nurses compared to the Italian woman who were there!
I once lived in Alberta in Canada for a few years. We had an African family doctor. That doctor was the best.
I had one too in Ontario! He was a fantastic doctor!
Toronto here. Caribbean GM, Iranian ENT, Chinese nephrologist, Germanic😅 internal specialist, Indian optometrist, Chinese radiologist, Indian urologist.... All excellent. I'm so grateful for them.
Hating on and mistreating a person based on their skin colour just shows how pathetic we humans can be.
how germans can be
As a South African in England i was scared that i would die under the care of white doctors, i had a white midwife and she was horrible. I refused to be under her care throughout my pregnancy, which is dangerous but rather that than enduring abuse. First doctor white man was so cold and dismissive. Luckly i was transferred to a South African male doctor and an Indian female doctor. Had the best delivery, thank God for those lovely doctors. Africans abroad, ask for African or Indian doctors don't bother with racists.
This happened to me as a black man in America. The nurse will often ignore me for hours stating they have other patients to help. Who am I? Your cow 😂
😂😂
😂😂
The same thing happened to me. I went to a clinic to get looked at for an excruciating pain in my abdomen area. When we got there, majority of the doors to the rooms were open which meant there almost no other patients and there were maybe 2-3 in the waiting room. They were well staffed and when we saw a doctor he only saw him 3 times in the span of 4-5 hours. He didnt do any tests and didnt give us any results and clearly had an attitude. This man was Indian.
@@adventuresociety588not surprised, those people are the most racist
😂😂😂, cow… So sorry for this horrible experience.
I lived in Hungary for 2 years and I experienced so much racism that I'm afraid of going back to Europe.
What nationality or race are you??
Racism does terrible things to a human and it leaves a lasting damage
My sister lived in Russia and she was treated well. It seem Russia is more accepting
@@diopfifi4937 true... Except for Accmodattion every thing is is better over there
Am packing now my bags.
Normal in German, when someone complain they always use the words "it was a misunderstanding " Missverständnisse
This is why people have to record conversations and sue them.
@@Mariamsadventureand of course this is illegal in Germany! 🇩🇪
it’s actually a global response
@@baqaqipekhebi7148 Not if you ask permission first
The saddest of all is the fact that only victims will watch such documentaries I swear 😢
Don't loose hope. I agree that smart docs like these will never reach the right people, sadly, but I'm a doctor (not from Germany, unfortunately) and I'm always trying to learn more and more about the world's history and its different peoples and cultures and spread the knowledge to my colleagues and young resident and fellow doctors ❤
@@CarolinaPortugalmd
You are great and doing great I just want to say thank ❤ and never give up on humanity.
Unfortunately, even sone racist watch this video and taunt/mock victims in the comments.
Native & Black women in the US need their own maternity hospitals. Babies 👶 are dying at an alarming rate.
Maternal..
maternity hospitals
Very true
😭😭😭
Or is it just time our prospective doctors received better training in women's care and medicine. We don't want to divide people but increase our understanding of how our bodies function in respect to the different pigments, gene combinations, and how cultural and religious beliefs effect how we might respond to care and treatments.
Professional ethics that used to be the epitome of the medical profession have been gradually lost...😢
And not only towards people of color but towards all people
No need to blur out that hospital, anyone living in Hannover knows it 😭😭. Such a shame that patients are turned away
Are we surprised that things like this are still happening in Germany?
Am definitely not surprised.
No not at alll
Well as turkish german I cannot confirm this! There will be always ignorant people but Germany has done more than any other country by letting in so many refugees. Do you think the German citizens are treated better? Def not!!! We pay for all of this and we are also treated badly in some cases!
What surprises me is that, when am watching documentaries about white people visting Africa,,,,, they are given a warm welcome... Helped, treated with respect...
African, black people we have endured so much racism...
My dear, they are on your grounds, been happening since the beginning of time, check history!
This is the reason why we should change our mentality and return the same energy
@@cuentaeatawiahor better yet stay back home and work on our continent and see who needs who?
Unfortunately, it's the bitter reality that happens almost every day 😢
And everywhere around the world 🌎! So sad 😞.
@@olajumokeemmanuel3505only in the west
@@Lightmsgrlanguage has nothing to do with it
I am a medical student in Uganda, with a dream to do my master's and PhD in Germany.
This is so hope-dampening!
Be rational, i.e. do the MSc/PhD, but rather not consider settling down over here.
Never loss up Sir all shall be Well💪🏾💪🏾 . ✊🏾daume dricken
@@yurigansmith Could you elaborate why?
@@N.I.-cz6nqBecause it's relatively inexpensive to study in Germany, and German universities still have some international reputation. On the other hand, I think it's not really a good idea to plan for a long-term career in Germany as a black (or generally not white passing) person. The racism in Germany might be less overt compared to other places, but it's very very pervasive, especially in all those crucial areas like education, employment, workplace, finding an apartment, etc. etc.. This might be acceptable for a limited period of time, but in the long run ...? I wouldn't recommend it.
Please don't go, don't go!!
We have a similar issue with black women in the US being told we exaggerate our pain and disregard our issues. Really have to advocate for yourself.
Just a few years ago, they got rid of textbooks in u s colleges that had racist nonsense instead of medical knowledge. They said things like black people had thicker skin, so they would feel pain less. It said that native Americans would give an arbitrary number when asked to rate their pain because of their spiritualism. Just absolute nonsense. If your doctors and nurses didn't graduate in the last year or so, they were probably trained using those racist medical books.
According to them, we are exempt from experiencing pain. Goes along with the "strong black woman" narrative 😒.
Unfortunately this is often the case.
It is worse when giving birth also
Healthcare in the USA is much worse than in Germany. I lived in Germany for several years and doctors there are much better than those in America. Try accessing medical care in America if you don't have insurance which is very expensive in the USA.
Why German embassador in Nigeria asking for professional to migrate to Germany?
Politics are not the population..
Politics want that, not the population
Because they know the Nigerian progressionals are highly skilled and they want to use you/Africans. Open your eyes before you go there.
It’s called brain draining
The sad thing is, this is a worldwide issue
No it's not it's a western issue and they will pay for all of this!
Some of these employees in hospitals, government offices are so racist,actually you will always find one racist while running your daily errands.They look down on immigrants thinking they are better than them .Thank you Dr Ofori!
Just this year alone I’ve had the worst experiences with 3 different doctors in Germany
Really???
I'm so sorry you have experienced so much horror. ❤
I had bad experience with 5 doctors in china. The hygiene within Chinese hospitals itself will put one in a coffin.
Sadly this is real. My cousin who schooled in Chemitz was hospitalised for 5 days and they still refused to do a scan till his appendix ruptured and he went into sepsis. They only called us to say our last goodbyes that they had to turn off the machines supporting him. It was only when they found out he was a British Citizen, that was when things changed and they put in effort to treat him.
I am so sorry for the experience. How is your cousin doing now?
Chemnitz has a reputation in general.
Oh so sad
I'm so sorry for what you went through. How is your cousin doing now?
This is very sad
Not only does Germany 🇩🇪 always fall on the wrong side of history but the country has always been the most racist country in Europe.
Lol 🤣 why ate so many immigrants are in Germany?
How disturbing. I was thinking of going to Germany for a holiday, but now having second thoughts. What if I get sick on holiday there and get poor medical care 🙁
There are countries I simply won't go to because the racism is too high. It's an utter shame that as a black person, you have to be so careful and can't just pick up and go to a new place.
It’s a matter, where are you going. It’s bingo, you know. When the hospital is in good spirits, you have luck. It’s a shame
I would never go to Germany
I'm sure you'll be fine if it's only for holiday
One time i almost gave birth in an ambulance, it was Winter and they had to put chains on the tyres,then i got to the hospital and one nurse was not amused cause my contractions stopped.After giving birth i was pushed into a room which looked like a store with my baby in my arms ,what felt like hrs and i was weak fearing to drop my baby cause the bed was very narrow.When a nurse at last appeared had to ask for something to drink .I had nobody with me thats why last time i had a german with me they offered mecall kinds of comfort .
I live in Germany and can sadly say this is 100% true.
I can relate to this. A similar documentary should be done here in France, as I go through this often, even in the emergency room. Can you imagine telling the emergency doctor I have anemia and I think that's why my head feels like that and for him to send me home and tells me it's all in my head, my head isn't good. Then few days later by my specialist to find out I need a blood transfusion and why the emergency doctor never admitted me. This is sad, because of bad treatment my health is very poor😢
I feel your pain. I'm sorry
Take courage
@@thinkinlove-om5le thank you.
You are the best for showing this reality of society 😢
Such things are happening to us on a daily basis , even in the most moderate state Like Hessen, in Frankfurt and surrounding. It's shame
I refuse to leave my country my continent I rather be poor and respected in my country
Most moderate in germany should be Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Baden-Württemberg, Berlin Hamburg, Schleswig Holstein Bremen & Bremen :).
People should be jailed for such outright racism especially on social media.
This is a sad reality that foreigners encounter regardless of whether one has the necessary paperwork. I wish this documentary reaches to those in charge
Thank you DW for being the voice for the voiceless .Thank you all.
This is happening everywhere, especially in the West, where i have experience. In the U.K, i have seen such discrimination countless times.
Really at least 50% of the UK NHS are people from ethnic backgrounds. There are interpreters from language line used and it costs the NHS a fortune.
@@deniseg-hill1730 ask those immigrants care assistants,nurses and doctors what their experiences are within the NHS.
Exactly!! I also go to doctors here only with my husband as i just moved from the US and dont speak German good enough! They do understand English but prefer not to help anyone, who doesnt speak German!! They are not even trying!! After America, there i also started as an emogrant, i was shoked. Totally different experience!
They have private healthcare 🙄, when you pay, they start speaking English in 5 sec.
@@dr.perfectsmile4175 Thats true..
Don’t they have discrimination laws in Germany? In other countries like the USA or UK, you’ll be sued for turning people away.
DW is a great media house.
*Very eloquently and precisely stated.
*Your assertion is 1000% correct.
*Thanks indeed for your priceless contribution.
Agree
Thanks, DW, for the fine documentary! You bring awareness to social issues in the society that we all have to be aware of. Kudos!
Thanks for watching and sharing your positive feedback!
Germans are some cold blooded people trust me
As a black Jamaican 🇯🇲 living in Germany 😢 when I say this they gas light me and say it's not true 😒
Corona did not discriminate, or it did :* I feel you too brother. Blacks should go more to foreign doctors. Iranian, Pakistani and most Arab doctors are good too.
Nope.. there's no point. BLM only supports awful criminals and Germany lacks that
@@erwynbalbuena9900no ! No Blm in Germany im also a black/latino gay man 30 years old
and oft treated as a criminal
How do they gaslight you?
It would be even worse in Nigeria (which has one of the worst healthcare systems IN THE WORLD) or another sub-saharan country... 🤔
Thank you DW for creating awarness about racism in health sector through this eye-opening documentary.This is new to me.I thought the medical sector was free from racism but I was wrong.
Honestly I am not a fun of Germany . I had a flight transit in Frankfurt when I was coming back to the United States and it was difficult to navigate the airport as everything was in German and there’s no one to talk or to ask a question on where and which terminal you can go to because the pass doesn’t show . There are no enough customer service representatives, you will be misled and go to the wrong terminal. The worst part was when u want to buy coffee or food at the airport, they are very disrespectful if u don’t speak German. That was my first and would be the last stopover in Germany unless I see or hear some changes
Germans' are very bad at giving directions.
frankfurt airport is a nightmare. customer service like in the usa is nowhere in germany . . .
@@honeyfigdarling you can’t compare US airports to Frankfurt because in the US everything is clear in English signs leading to you to where you want to. You don’t need anyone to direct you while in Frankfurt everything is in German language and they don’t have enough customer service booths and you can’t ask no one either because they don’t want to speak English or they don’t understand. You will be misled my friend
Frankfurt is one of the easiest international airports to navigate and I am an American who doesn't speak a word of German 😂😂 Americans always have these reports but usually its because you have your head too far up.your rear end
Avoid Frankfurt airport.... ...
I think it’s beyond medical care. I was applying to a university in Germany few years back and I sent an email to ask a question about the application. The explanation I got did not solve my problem. I asked for clarification and the answer I got was “ I’m sorry I cannot help you anymore with your application question, do it yourself “. That was cold and unprofessional. Thank God I didn’t go to that country, I don’t know what would have happened as I’m African.
DW Documentaries are top notch and well produced and presented. Kudos to the team 👏🏿
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I understand the frustration with irregular migration, in my country too- we’re dealing with that as in Germany is too but as Doctors we take a oath and that is higher and above all of that and is the first priority. Pain is not normal and has to be addressed
I wonder how many murders are due to medical racism
I am sure it happened even when you had 0.0009% immigrants. A racist heart will always find a way to justify an odious act to appease his/her consciousness😀
What does immigration have to do with patient, the job of a doctor is to treat his patients nothing more nothing less. Politics don't have a place in hospitals and clinics
I'm wondering if these doctors aren't being paid by black patients for treatment 😢
The truth is they will never change
Germans, unfortunately, are very behind when it comes to the english language. Its not their strongest language. Even my own family got mad at me when my posts on platforms are in english. I dont live in Germany anymore, but I am German. Every movie is in the german language. They are not surrounded by this language as other people.
This handicap of not being surrounded by the english language every day shows how incompetent some "doctors" are in treating other races. In Holland, where I live now, english is a very common language in the hospitals and outside. Its almost the first language. Even nurses can switch automatically to the english language if a foreign patient comes to the hospital.
This racism game is so old. I wonder where this attitude ever came from. According to sience, the first people on earth were not white. Not even Jesus.
Your last sentence has nothing to do with the issue at hand
@@geranienbaum I meant the last sentence from lotuspocus, about black people being the first on this earth
Its funny because german have many similarities to english
If the Germans are so behind in English you should look at what Italy is like regarding competence in the language haha
Im a foreigner living in Portugal and had been to many doctors appointments. Im proud to say that from my experience, majority of hospital staff speak decent english and Portuguese doctors speak fluent English.
But racism in Germany has always been rampant for the longest time..am not surprised this is coming out now..
I got married to a german and changed my surname. The wait time at the doctor’s office dramatically reduced. It’s funny watching their micro expressions when they call my surname.
I told my husband this too. If I use my English last name, I'm usually treated much differently. Mind you I speak the language fluently, and have a English last name, as my father's father(my grandfather) was an Englishman and not dutch. My family since then is English. It's appalling.
@@da1stamericus I had a different experience but I live in the capital city and it’s very different from the rest of Germany. I felt I was treated similarly to natives the better my German got. B2 is enough to communicate clearly. I noticed the discrimination completely stopped around B2/C1 level.
My Sister with a Friend search for a new Doctor both moved together in a other City she call and use her best friends Name (which is german) for better chance
This is pretty triggering; having had health care professionals not only completely misdiagnose but get a nasty mean attitude towards me after assuming I was exaggerating or wasting their time is… a terrible feeling. Luckily I pressed on and got a diagnosis that resulted in a surgery being scheduled asap for what otherwise could have been a very bad situation had I not been able to advocate for myself and had decent insurance. All as an American, native English speaker, this happened in one of the better hospitals in the entire US.
I'm going through it now. I believe it's medical gaslighting as well.
Is it the systems in place that makes this type of discrimination prevalent or the individual doctors that are the issue?
@@zaghir8351 A combination at least, even if in any case it is more one than the other. In my case I am sure a system of arbitrary moves cause them to run irrelevant tests on me (and not relevant ones) but the individuals behavior after the fact is their own.
@@goingagainstthegrain I’m sorry, It’s terrible. Press on, at least you know. I really am terrified for dependents, or myself when I am one, at the mercy of the good and fair judgement of others.
@Ginger-so3hx Well, I hope you're feeling much better. It's awful that you have to go back and forth with a doctor, especially something that is life-saving. Ironically, I went down the rabbit hole during my research. I was astonished when I uncovered that the state I reside in has a statute protecting doctors/hospitals from malpractice lawsuits. So, a family cannot sue them for negligence if you happen to pass away during surgery. Not all states have this loop hole.
I have been to Germany 3 times as a tourist but haven't lived there so haven't experienced the healthcare system first hand but I saw a PBS documentary here on YT several years ago where they investigated and compared the medical/insurance systems in industrialized countries. The conclusion was that the German Model was the one that most closely resembled the U.S model which doesn't bode well and probably explains the experience of the people in this documentary.
What do you mean by, doesn’t bode well for
@@jalenwesley755 She refers to the fact the US Health Insurance System is dysfunctional with poor outcomes for many patients/clients. By use of bode, she refers to the negative outcomes experienced within the German Healthcare system by many seeking consultation and treatment due to similar underlying discriminatory attitudes & practices by the US clinicians and healthcare insurance Companies.
I am a Black AMerican and have the fortune to have a German last name and I speak fluent German. Even I have problems getting taken seriously and I see how the receptionists treat other foreigners who can not speak good German. No help at all and ignored. When I make an apointment I usually tell them over the phone my German last name and that I am from the USA if I don't they will jump to conclusions. This said...My blond American friend also gets treated badly and she looks German...SO it is a thing about foreigners. I also find it takes literally years and sometimes a second recomendation from another doctor before they treat you seriously....My heart issues were ignored for years till my hausartz called the cardiologist...THen suddenly I was sent to hospital to be checked immediately
To me the most shocking aspect highlighted in this article is the revelation that a significant number of doctors in Germany "lack proficiency" in the English language. This raises concerns about their ability to stay up to date of the latest developments in their field (obviously they don't), as much of the contemporary medical literature is published in English. The notion that one can read but not speak or understand English is debunked as a myth; true language proficiency encompasses all aspects of communication. This deficiency in English language skills among German medical professionals could potentially explain various ISSUES within the healthcare sector in Germany.
Medical literature is full with with Latin. They understand.
They live in Germany, where the official language is German, so they don't have to speak English. You have to learn German!!! All the best from Poland.
@@mimi64231I can see how you clearly deviated from what the poster said. German is not a language you pick up overnight. Is it about not speaking the language or it’s just a mask to cover your true feelings as regards foreigners? Oh, you are from Poland! I now understand.
@@mimi64231but you understand learning the language takes time? And before that we shouldn't get any medical help?? Come on!
The problem doesn't seem to be English or Germany. If you are concerned to help you can get translators too. Even a phone can do it. Sadly Germany is usually a racist country
why would anyone go to germany in the first place?
Great question
I was always skeptical of Germany being my second home, this was evident whenever i go to the GP hospital as a black man.
Whether i make appointment or Not, am always forced to wait for atleast an hour. A time i waited for close to three hours, i almost caused a fight with the receptionists.
Racism will make Germany not attract great talent easily.
Unfortunately, I can say the same for Vienna, Austria 😢
the austrians are worse
They’re the same people.
I'm absolutely heartbreaking to witness such a documentary on racism. Germany needed to do more to eradicate racism from the system.we are living in a model world, and a doctor should be the one to treat every patients regardless of their colors
I am always amazed at the ignorant comments made by a lot of people in the west about the African Continent.
And the funny thing is that this comments come from people in the so called 1st world countries & developed nations.
In my own opinion the humanity in a place that is what makes a society 1st world or developed. Thus to me in some of this countries you might think you are developed but your mindset & thinking says otherwise. What good are the enormous facilities & buildings for if there are people that don't fully benefit from them?
We are actually thriving here in Africa & our birthrate is very positive unlike most countries in the West. People should actually take steps to educate themselves & eradicate their ignorance & biasness towards my continent.
Otherwise its a good documentary as always @DW. Much love from Kenya 🇰🇪.
Ignorance indeed 🙏🏾
Very true… I currently live in Kenya and I visited the hospital recently, Nairobi Hospital branch in a certain mall to be precise. To say that I was very impressed with care, treatment and respect there is not an exaggeration.
People think they don’t have good hospitals in Africa.. that’s a very big lie.
Wait time is much shorter too
There are basically two options: Either you're ridiculed by the West, or you're considered a threat. "On equal terms / on equal footing" never gonna happen. Be rational and better thrive under the radar as long as possible, and use the time to prepare yourself for becoming the next "major threat".
@@yurigansmithcouldn't agree more
This happened to me in Canada
I'm living in Germany for nearly 10 years as African, i have not been always sick thank God. But i had 2 times attended medical/emergency services. To be honest I haven't experienced discrimination in hospitals or emergency health care fertility, but on the streets. And it doesn't mean anything to me now because I'm used to it.
Sorry to hear that. How often do these things happen? Do you worry about going out for a walk for example? Is it something you think about a lot?
It's the same in the UK.
This is crazy. As a nurse living in the US, I see nurses treat patients with soo much disrespect because of language. Why did you become a nurse in the first place, knowing very well that you will be caring for diverse individuals. This saddens my heart. Can not wait to open my hospital.
Why did you remove the video about Ecuador?
now imagine how many people already died because of this racist negligence that will never make it to a news channel like DW.
There is a baby who died not long ago in Magdeburg. The mother was turned away several times. That baby died waiting for a doctor in the emergency room where the mother had been turned away the evening before with paracetamol?
My baby died because of negligence and racism last July
@@akp5_ sorry to hear that!
@@akp5_ going to Germany expecting not racism knowing their history is vary naive.
I pray that anyone connected to me, will never fall into the hands of these mean doctors and nurses!
This is so upsetting to watch as well as very worrying. Such low levels of empathy only exists in people with psychopathic traits.
Exactly, and if you live in Germany you realize these traits you mentioned are much higher among Germans than other populations. It's very concerning.
This is so sad and is also the case in Trinidad and Tobago in the public health care system at times
Germany needs to revise all the medical textbooks that are given to medical students in Germany so that they include images of not only white people suffering from a wide variety of diseases but also black people suffering from a wide variety of diseases.
I was a doctor in Germany and left because I did not want to be part of it. The racism is healthcare there is real. Now they have a huge need for doctors and it will get worse because foreign physicians prefer to make less elsewhere in the EU than to stay there, and the German doctors go to Switzerland where they make more. Sad for the aging population of Germany.
I remember given spoiled food and a medical pre practitioner told me i can eat the bad food because I am black. A patient that is pron to bacterial infections. Isn't it this funny. Is too much in Germany they make it too clear that they don't like you. I am suffering from chronic gastroenteritis and the doctor told me i am perfect.
If you have a foreign background, go to your home country, if possible, and get an endoscopy and a full check up. Don’t trust the assessment!!! You need to take care of yourself. A chronic gastrointestinal is something that you have to be very careful with!! Good luck!
I believe them because it's happened to me in UK I've been ignored To receive my
Treatment on time
I live in the UK, GP receptionists are racist and once they heard your accent they will say no appointment today.
Thank you and the whole Team.thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙏
As one who had been verbally abused because of being an American (white) Air Force retiree (married to, not in) from the German medical staff I was assigned too. It does happen and if you want to talk, you know how to get ahold of me…
I don't know who these people are, that carry such poisonous hearts. But to most of us, seeing all the injustices going around in the world everyday is exhausting. I don't know about heaven, but hell, dear friends, is right here.
It was a wonderful documentary shared by an excellent ( DW) documentary channel. Documentary about racism practiced beneath healthcare systems in Germany...(DW ) incredibly and truly introducing.... that negative phenomenon. If racism practiced inside infamous a humanitarian activity 😮 what about other sectors ?
Actually, many white and even those who were born in Germany are treated like that muslim woman as well. This is not question of discrimination but a question of qualification of doctors. Many good doctors leave Germany for countries with higher wages. German medical system require improvement, just like medical systems of the majority of countries in the world 😳
I never loved Germany!
Went there for vacation & return home just after 3 nights 😮
😂😂😂
I live here, where’re you from?😂😂
I experienced this in Germany and I’m white. Empathy training should be a required class in Germany grade school, high school, and college. I advise people in Germany to use the internet to research your symptoms and then make a list of tests you want done to narrow down your possible diagnosis. Take the list to the doctor and just tell them what you need tested. You will figure out faster what is wrong with you than they will and you may even save your life.
Truly an eye-opener!!
*"She was exaggerating the problem as foreigners do."*
This stupid unfounded assumption alone is an intentional racist utterance.
I’m Dutch and live in Den Haag. It is the same here. A bloody disgrace! My Bonairian neighbour was send off by his doctor, with a knee injury and told he had to learn to live with it. But it happens too much in City Hospitals here too. Muslims are maltreated by white nurses. But they do this to me too, I talk back to such idiot behaviour. And get straight out threats that I will get thrown out of an ambulance somewhere along the street. Happened to me three times by ambulanciers with a severe big mouth at Westeinde First Aid station from Ambulancedienst Haaglanden…
Oh my God. 🙁
I am going to look for this doctor ASAP..
They pay taxes and contribute to the economy but look how they are treated
It's very true. I can't say whether it's racism or not. Access to Medical help is extremely difficult, especially if you don't speak the language. When I was new to this country a nail pierced my foot. I went to 4 different doctors in 1 month and none took me seriously. One of them didn't even touch or examined the wound. At last when I went to emergency the receptionist rejected me at first because the incident happened over a month ago so it's not an emergency. I literally was in tears then. Seeing that maybe she allowed me to be treated by the doctor. That's the first time over a month someone x-rayed my foot to check if anything was still there or not. The area was black from rotten tissue. After cleaning that, they never gave any antibiotics.
And now we move to Baden-Württemberg and don't have a house doctor for over two years now. No one is accepting new patients. Even though their website gives you an online appointment.
This is really sad!
Omg😮
Did my masters in Germany stayed for 5 years… after that I ran away…… the most racist country on earth…. Europe is a no go area.
Same problems exist for us Black Americans including myself. We have to exhibit extreme symptoms including our pregnant women. Too many people assume only poor people can be prejudice and not doctors. There are good and bad doctors and bad doctors need to be rooted out.
I was doing my msc nursing in UK at lsbu. One of the most rascis*t uni ever, plus the hosp i worked in st thomas. Ive completed my course, denied my license to practice. Put me through 2 stressful f2p, they gaslighted me, made things up. Where do i go, an Asian girl, whose brown and musli*m, i was done for the discriminatio*n is real. I had ny child, the covid and made it through my studies. They refused flexible working or any work adjustments due to ny diabetes which is in remission. They said i was a danger to patients, refused break etc. I wanted to be a community nurse and later specialise in diabetes. I had no suppoet with my studies or placement. 2 years on, nothing no compensation for discriminatio*n, mistreatment etc. This really knocked me down, and yes i am depressed on 2 antidepressants. This country is a failed system, i am on benefit a person who completed msc, doesnt make sense. If they don't want my contribution, leave me the f alone on benefits!
I have left it to God, his the best planner.
This is why aliens will never show up.
been living for 10 years in Germany and racism in a big problem in Germany to say the least.
Very professional documentary, well-balanced. Thanks to the DW team and to all those who participated, accepted to share their stories ❤.
*They are crazy about their fcking language*
Filipino doctors are one of the nicest, most professional, most ethical, & most hygienic doctors I've known. They treat you humane & with respect. They treat your illness seriously, responsibly, with care, & with empathy.
In my whole stay in Germany, I only met 1 very good doctor once. It's very seldom to find good doctors in Germany. I, myself, experienced bad things from german healthcare. Foreigners like me don't trust german healthcare.
Why don't u live in the Philippines?
Then leave Germany
This person shares an opinion/ experience and yall tell them to leave the country wtf
@@t-ur8wh he said Germany has no good doctors and that as a guest foreigner he doesn’t trust the healthcare. He should leave then
I agree Filipino doctors nurses are amazing God bless them
Here in Australia also same
We need to change our Hausarzt due similar situation. Receptionist at that clinic was not ready to speak or smile. They used to look like something else. It took around two months to diagnose a bacterial infection. Our first doctor just used to say nothing is there just take ibuprofen tablets. Luckily the second Hausarzt was good and helped to diagnose it and even helped to get some radiology appointments. I feel that racism is everywhere but it is dangerous to have it in healthcare system.
Very very dangerous
Let's hope very soon, artificial intelligence (AI) will soon replace medical personnel. As a matter of fact, the other day, I described my symptoms to ChatGPT and it correctly tells what is my potential disease. I also read one article in the United States about a boy who was misdiagnosed by many doctors and specialists. Frustrated, the mom checked with ChatGPT and was able to find what affected her son. After seeing a specialist this time with the new information, he gets treated properly. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I heard about this case in the U.S. Very interesting. I suppose its a great tool for diagnosing Independently from doctors not so great bias ,
And yet these people are living in Namnibia in Africa
And they refuse to leave