'Ethiopians like injections': Stereotypes, language barriers and a failure of care

In the absence of communication, stereotypes and assumptions take the place of understanding. Multiple doctors have told us students to remember that Ethiopian patients don't believe that they have been treated unless they are given an injection, and to remember to treat them with injections instead of pills whenever possible. These words were well-intentioned, but take on a chilling tone in light of the recent news. Regardless of intentions, good or bad, you cannot know what your patient wants or needs unless you are able to ask them. There is an urgent need to train and hire medical interpreters within the hospitals and the kupat cholim (health maintenance organization) clinics. It’s needed in Arabic, and it is desperately needed in Amharic.

Imagine how things might have gone differently for women newly arrived from Ethiopia if there were professional translators available, empowering them to fully understand what was going on, to ask questions, and to demand answers. Imagine how things might have gone differently for Gabra if there had been a professional translator present when she was told that she had cancer.

It is not uncommon in the United States for hospitals and clinics that cannot provide interpreters to subscribe to a language hotline. The doctor and the patient each pick up a phone, and they dial the hotline, and request a conference call with the appropriate interpreter. I've used this system in the past to speak with a patient who only spoke Mandarin Chinese, and while far from perfect, the result was transformative. A service like this should be made available at the smaller clinics that cannot afford to keep a translator on staff.

Some might argue that the public health system in Israel cannot afford new expenses right now. I would argue that it is the cost of doing nothing that we cannot afford. It’s too late to help Gabra with anything more than managing her pain for her last few months. It’s too late for families who were never able to have the children they had hoped for. And it is past time for the Israeli medical system to make available professional translation services for their patients.

*Names have been changed to respect patients' privacy.

By Sarah Meyers
Sarah Meyers is an American in her third year of medical school at Ben Gurion University of the Negev's Medical School for International Health.