While researching globalization issues for women, I came
across an article about medical corruption in Chhattisgarh, India, South of
Asia, where many women are victims to insurance fraud by having “unnecessary
surgeries.” The main surgery that women tend to undergo is a hysterectomy;
removing of the uterus. Once a women show signs of pelvic pain, the doctors in
India are quick to perform hysterectomies on these women, when in all
actuality, these women do not need this surgery; they just need medicine, or
other options to relive the pain. In recent studies, “3,500 separate cases of
women living in 90 separate villages, many under 30 years of age, has undergone
this unnecessary surgeries.” Reuters
Trustlaw, took a poll stating that “India is the worst place to be a woman’
compared to all other world nations who are part to the G20. It ranks extremely
low on issues that cover violence, exploitation, safety, gender equality and
access to decent healthcare.” A significant number of women have been talked
into having their uterus removed within the last six months. This issue was so
traumatizing, that BBC news did a report in July 2012 on 34 medical centers
that are being investigated for the misuse of medical surgeries.
Not only are India women being victims of unnecessary
hysterectomies, but in the United States, many women are getting the surgery
and are dying from the operation. Dr. Herbert Goldfarb, states, “These women
are not sick, but healthy women who go into the hospital and do not come out.”
They are blaming this issue based on smart cards given to India that provides
“easy to use credit cards” to provide millions with healthcare and a better
quality of medical care. These smart cards include all of the patient’s
information and allow up to $30,000RS dollars to be issued to each family, not
individual. That’s about $500 in U.S. dollars to be distributed to each family
member as a group. Now, these medical centers and doctors are being investigated,
Human Rights activist along with other organizations are trying to stop these
unnecessary surgeries and put light to the situation.
Depending on what country you live in, will determine
your life expectancy, standard of living, and much more. The women in India are
being victims of unneeded hysterectomies and they don’t even know until they
are dying or in deeper pain. I believe that if an Indian woman did suffer from
severe pelvic pain, they need to seek more than one doctor to see if they
really need surgeries like a hysterectomy. When these medical centers are
investigated, and hopefully shut down, I think that all the surgical doctors
should lose their license and leave the country. It is sad that women have to
be treated like this. Hopefully these organizations can stand up for these
women in different countries and provide a better health or medical plan to
stop the unnecessary surgery.
Sheila Floyd
2/22/2013
Soc 200-01
No comments:
Post a Comment