Assetou Coulibaly had a headache for two weeks by the time her friends convinced her to seek medical help on May 10.
That eventually led to an experience at Royal Jubilee Hospital, where she fears her being Black played into nurses disregarding her pain and concerns, to the point where she suffered a panic attack.
She acknowledges that ER workers are extremely stressed due to the pandemic, but says her experience highlights the hesitancy Black women feel when it comes to seeking medical treatment.
含羞草研究社淲e find the medical system to us is what cops are to Black men,含羞草研究社� she said.
When she called a clinic about her symptoms, a doctor told Coulibaly to go to the emergency ward immediately, fearing she could have meningitis and be seriously at risk.
Already wary of hospitals, Coulibaly heeded the urgent advice. After an eight-hour wait in the ER with her head still pounding, she was in a consultation room with a doctor who she says seemed more concerned about her condition than triage staff.
Originally from Mali and having lived all over the world, Coulibaly grew up seeing doctors who were immersed in treating BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) patients. She says the care from those doctors contrasts with her treatment at Royal Jubilee and elsewhere in Canada.
含羞草研究社淭hey didn含羞草研究社檛 have those biases because they含羞草研究社檝e been exposed and they have learned from those people,含羞草研究社� she said of her initial contacts with practitioners.
After she received a CT scan at RJH, two nurses entered Coulibaly含羞草研究社檚 room and said they were going to draw blood and put an IV in simultaneously. Coulibaly warned that her small, finicky veins usually require a specialist to find. She said the nurses, however, unsuccessfully jabbed her several times in each arm in search of a vein, which left her in pain.
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She expressed her pain to the nurses, but said they seemed 含羞草研究社渙ffended含羞草研究社� by her reaction. The pain made her get stressed, which compounded when the nurses wouldn含羞草研究社檛 answer her questions about the IV medication she was about to receive, she said. As the meds flowed in, Coulibaly felt an 含羞草研究社渋mmensely weird含羞草研究社� sensation, causing her to panic.
含羞草研究社淚 said, 含羞草研究社榊ou guys didn含羞草研究社檛 warn me about anything.含羞草研究社� I was freaking out and they were just standing and looking at me with a complete look of apathy,含羞草研究社� she said.
Now panicking, she muttered that she wanted her mom.
含羞草研究社�(The nurse) said, 含羞草研究社榳ell since she含羞草研究社檚 not here you含羞草研究社檙e just going to have to deal with it, aren含羞草研究社檛 you,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Coulibaly said. 含羞草研究社淚 just kept crying, I was like 含羞草研究社業 want to go home, I want to go home含羞草研究社� to myself and she was like 含羞草研究社榃ell if you go home nobody含羞草研究社檚 going to give you care.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
The nurses left as Coulibaly started to calm down, but she was still shaken. Over an hour passed and nobody checked up on her condition. After multiple failed attempts of getting staff含羞草研究社檚 attention, Coulibaly left for home as she started to panic again.
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含羞草研究社淚 was told to come here because a medical professional who assessed me told me he was concerned for my well-being, because he was concerned I would die if there was something wrong,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚f I have to die, I will die peacefully in my bed, not here.含羞草研究社�
She frets her race played into the care she received.
含羞草研究社淚 got an unbiased diagnosis over the phone because the doctor didn含羞草研究社檛 know what I look like,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淥nce I was at the hospital, I was disregarded.含羞草研究社�
She hopes nurses and hospital staff receive up-to-date training on racial bias and how to treat BIPOC patients who may be wary of the medical system. A statement from Island Health didn含羞草研究社檛 answer whether its medical staff receives racial bias training.
Island Health doesn含羞草研究社檛 discuss individual cases due to patient privacy. Their patient care quality office fields and investigates negative experience complaints.
含羞草研究社淭his process allows Island Health to constantly evaluate and improve our services, systems and policies,含羞草研究社� the statement said, adding they含羞草研究社檙e 含羞草研究社渃ommitted to cultural safety and humility, anti-racism and anti-oppression are part of our core work and we are working to improve every day.含羞草研究社�
Coulibaly has submitted her experience to the office.
Island Health says its Indigenous liaison nurse program exists because 含羞草研究社渃olonialism and systemic racism have significant negative impacts on the health of Indigenous peoples in British Columbia.含羞草研究社� It did not say if similar programs exist for non-Indigenous BIPOC patients.
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