Question

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

"When you fail one Hmong patient, you fail the whole community" (p. 253). How does this perspective differ from your cultural perspective on health care? How does knowing this put pressure on the healthcare system to adequately treat those from a clan-based culture, in your view?

Answer 1

Answer to the first question :- The whole medical field is a complicated place. Here we are dealing with living beings. You fail to correct one, you lose the patient and that's it. However regarding cultural aspect, every culture, every ethnic group should be given equal importance and all are taken under one single group-The group of Homo sapiens.However, sometimes, while practicing medicine, it is important to know the mindset of the patient. Among the Hmjong tribe culture, they have a belief that if a member of the tribe gets diseased, the whole community acquires the disease. So they don't chance it.But that's not true as per the theory and practical view of modern medicine.So, it differs a lot on the cultural perspective regarding what is believed in the Hmjong Culture.

Answer to the second part :- Knowing this clan based culture throw a hefty pressure on the health care system. But, through awareness programmes and free facilities and some proven results can acquire their belief. So in that case losing a patient can be dangerous. But no one can be saved for the whole life. So obviously it puts a lot of pressure.