Cultural Incompetence

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Cultural Incompetence in the Delivery of Healthcare
I once witnessed a booked primi-gravida woman who came complaining of excruciating labor pains refuse the services of a male birth physician. The midwife who accompanied her expressed that the women needed an instrumental surgery immediately. However, the facility only had a male physician who could conduct an effective procedure. The woman refused to be handled by the male physician. Her husband and the physician insisted that she had to undergo the process immediately because her life and that of the baby were at risk. After the instrumental delivery, she told the midwife that she felt guilty and embarrassed that her husband saw her being handled by a man. She promised that in her subsequent pregnancies, she would not come to the facility.
Admittedly, the facility had limited personnel hence it could not afford to hire more physicians. However, statistics show that women always prefer female birth attendants (Rosetti et al 328). Therefore, I believe that the facility should have ensured measures that provide services that are culturally appropriate and acceptable. For example, being that the facility was in a remote area, they knew the cultural reservations of the community hence they should have ensured that there is a female physician to conduct birth surgeries. Similarly, they should ensure that the rights and dignity of patients are protected according to their wishes (Rosetti e…