#AIR-CLINIC PUBLIC FORUM 3: SHOULD PATIENTS CONSULT BE GENDER-BASED?!
Hello Air-Clinicians & Friends,
This is the third week for our weekly public forum discussions. From the last two topics, there is no doubt that the hospital setting can have quite a number of issues that we all do relate with.
Last week's topic was interesting as it had to do with the attitude of both doctors and nurses to their patients. We saw that some believe doctors are more accommodating and really kind to their patients while their assistants, nurses, are in most cases the opposite.
Those who contributed were @kivar, @uvokz, @richforever, @davyd, @peterakpan, @estherlove1, @prettyabby, @nnana, @esebonez, @xpressng, @josejirafa and @kemtayo.
We appreciate every single one for taking out their time to drop comments either to debunk the notion or to support it. We also do appreciate you sharing your experiences.
So this week, let's discuss another intriguing topic: Should attending to Patients be Gender-Based?
What we want to know is if it's okay for male doctors, nurses, and other health paramedics to attend only to males while their female counterparts attend only to females.
Feel free to tell us what you think and why you hold that view. You may also share experiences, stories or reports.
Let's make this worthwhile.
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Good topic. However saying patient care should be gender based isn't really feasible. From the little experience I have garnered so far in the practice, using medical doctors for example, the number of female doctors is still significantly less than the number of male doctors while you tend to have more female patients actively seeking healthcare. So, if we should propose a gender-based healthcare delivery system, it means there would be situations where the female population would lack doctors to attend to them as the relatively few female doctors available, would be overworked beyond human limit.
Secondly, experience have shown that with the exception of a few, who are still very much in the minority, female patients are usually more at ease with male doctors while male patients would rather be attended to by female doctors.
In conclusion, I don't think there's enough justification for a gender-based healthcare delivery system.
Thank you.
You are very right @uc-phoenix. Gender shouldn't be a factor in medical consultations. We appreciate the analytical statistics you gave.
Thanks for contributing Doc!
No it should not be gender based :) , because we live in today society which doesnt follow the gender biased system in any setting :)
Thank you @ehan for your contribution. Cheers!
Based on the level of Gender Discrimination in times past, there are more male Doctors and more female nurses.
Over time, the margin has reduced but there's still a quantifiable difference in the number. There wouldn't be efficiency in the medical system if attending to patients in Gender-based due to this numbers.
The only possible option is 'choice' and this would be dependent on the availability of Doctors. This choice also has to be sorted by a system to avoid any form of Discrimination.
Hence, you get the Doctor you prefer if that Gender is available.
In Nigeria, where such a system might not be workable for now, the choice thing cannot even work.
It should not be gender base. As long as we have competent hands in our hospitals,patients should be free to explain their situations to any available health workers no matter the gender.
This issue of gender claimed the life of a sister some five years ago,she visited hospital to deliver her first child,but she did not allow the male doctors that are on ground to attend to her,it was too late for before the female doctors came around.
Hmmm! Thats very sad @emmakwisequote.
Its a wrong mentality to think that way. Gender shouldn't be an issue. Besides there's nothing anyone will want to hide that the male doctors haven't seen in the course of practice.
Thanks for contributing!
Any time...
I think it should be gender base, because there are certain issues that a patient might not be comfortable saying to the opposite gender
Well, thank you for contributing @alexkolosi.
We agree but the essence of this forum is to dissuade that mentality. Every doctor is trained to listen to (& attend to) any situation. Gender doesn't matter at all.
In situations where a patient requests services from a certain gender, it will be granted provided there are adequate staff. Emergencies are a whole different ball game.
Cheers!
I don't think it should be gender biased. To a doctor, all patients are alike. To the patient, the experience of the doctor should matter more than the gender. Many famous gynecologists in our area are males.
Hey @sayee,
Very true. There are many more male gynaecologists than females. So will really be difficult for a woman who chooses to see only male doctors.
Thanks for contributing. Cheers!
No.
Would it matter, in cases of ultra emergencies, whether the doctor that attends to you is male or female? No.
I think the important thing should be competence, ethics and empathy!
If a doctor ticks those boxes, then, whether make or female wouldn't matter.
Hey @idowu-kunlere,
you have summarized the essentials very well.
It doesn't matter whether in day-cases or emergencies.
Thank you for contributing.
Cheers!
To my own view, I think it's shouldnt be base on gender. Because if we look around us the female doctors are less then the male doctors, in case of emergency aspect, I can say some female doctors don't have the courage to bear the situation. For instance, one of my pastor's wife hard an accident on the bike going to her home, sadly, one of the legs broken. When we took her to the hospital we met some female nurses and one female doctor in duty, but to my surprised the woman (doctor) said she can't operate the leg that she can only give her fist aid, and transfer her to one the biggest hospital in our city. And this hospital am talking about is one one of the best hospital around us here, and am sure if we met a male doctor very night day. She will not be transferred immediately. The fact is, if we base this topic on gender...... Hummm...female patients would lack doctors. Do no base on gender. Thanks air-clinic for this content, it give me more courage to participate on little I know
For me, I believe it should be Gender Based. A woman feels more comfortable knowing its another woman that is checking her, for instance, a woman goes to the hospital to do breast cancer check up, and a man is checking her, it will be awkward. The male doctor must have to touch and rub the woman's breast, very sensitive area and we all know that "body no be firewood". Same thing for men, imagine a man has a STI, which requires the doctor checking his manhood. So for me its not right.