sad it still happens in 21st century
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I have seen doctors discriminating between educated and uneducated patients. For the former they use the word ‘aap’ and for latter ‘tu’.
As per caste discrimination, I have not seen this kind of discrimination for patients but I have seen patients discriminating against doctors in private hospitals. They see their full name then assess their caste, if the doctor is from lower caste they don’t go and see him because he would have gotten the seat in comparatively lesser marks. The educated population of the patients give these remarks.
In hospitals of Maharashtra, where the patients know Hindi, they still say ‘Marathi mai bolo’.
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Discrimination is prevalent everywhere. And it is common nowadays. But this should be stopped to provide better health care.
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Every person in a healthcare sector should only be worried about treating the patient and the disease , because that’s what we have been taught. Being a doctor it is in our medical ethics to not discriminate any one based on caste , colour sex or religion. So we should always remember our ethics and work accordingly to make world a better place
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I think healthcare should be equally for all. I feel change starts with awareness (like this conversation), and then with sensitivity training for healthcare workers, and most importantly, with each one of us choosing to treat every patient, colleague, or fellow student with equal respect.
If patients feel safe, valued, and understood, half the healing already begins. 
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Yeah it’s very common in India specially when someone from rural areas for treatment but can’t express what they feel in detailed way
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One step forward could be training healthcare workers in cultural sensitivity and local languages, so patients feel respected and understood. Creating feedback systems where patients can safely report discrimination might help reduce bias in care. Thanks for touching on this.
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It’s a bitter truth, but it’s still happening people with lower caste often faces discrimination , women’s not taken seriously and faces social barriers , LGBTQ+ patients are disrespected and language barriers causes further misunderstanding . We need better training to healthcare worker and better policies to address these issues.
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I think two issues stand out here. First, caste discrimination should have no place in healthcare and must be eliminated. Second, language should be made mandatory doctors should either learn the local language or be posted in regions where they already know it. This ensures every patient feels understood and respected.
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I personally have never faced such an issue but I have seen my parents struggling to explain what exactly they are going through due to language constraint. One way such bias can be reduced is by implementing blinded studies where the gender,caste of the patient is not revealed
Yes, it does have an affect over the patient care. I have never moved out of my state for education or professional purposes for a long period of time but I felt it when my brother did. He had to relocate accross the country with which came language barrier. You can overcome any challenge being healthy but when you are not well things get difficult.
I feel there should be stronger policies and systems in place to reduce these barriers. At the same time, I also feel we already have so much advancements that any language can be easily translated yet they are rarely utilised by professionals them during these situations because they sometimes feel they have urgent tasks to do.
Of course, I am not saying that a super-specialist with critical responsibilities should always sit and talk at length. But small gestures like giving 5 extra minutes to patient sitting infront of you to understand them, irrespective of their caste, gender or language they will have lasting impression.
Gandhi Ji said – “Be the change you want to see in the world”