Quebec doctor speaks out against patient racism

Montreal - Dr. Alex Nguyen says it straight off: the form of racism is "mild." It has more to do with a form of ignorance of his patients, he says. However, these situations deserve to be denounced, said the 26-year-old doctor. He contacted ProfessionSanté.ca (the Medical Post's sister media brand in Quebec) in order to encourage health professionals not to be afraid to tell patients that they are upset by certain comments. "If we do not identify these situations, the danger is that it will lead us to ostentatious racism, like we see in the United States," said Dr. Nguyen, who practices in Montreal. From the start of his internship until today, Dr. Nguyen has received comments or questions from his patients that he find's inappropriate. Here are the ones he's heard the most frequently: “Your French is really good!" "How long have you been in Quebec? " "Do you know (insert the name of a person, whose last name is Nguyen)?" "Where did you have your training?" These kinds of questions and comments are not said to him every day or even every week, he said, but he has heard them many times over the years. He is convinced that his Asian, African-American and Hispanic colleagues also face this kind of talk. During his internships in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Beauce, Dr. Nguyen did not react to these words. Concerned about the importance of having a good evaluation by his superiors, Dr. Nguyen did not want to create a stir by responding to the inappropriate comments of certain patients. Today he feels guilty for remaining silent. “Keeping quiet keeps the problem going. Since that time, every time I have this kind of comment, I react, but never in a mean way,” he said. For example, he will respond by asking the patient if they would ask that question of a white doctor. "By asking this question, the patient will reflect and realize that his question is only related to my appearance and not to my diploma or my training." Since the pandemic While cases of anti-Asian racism have greatly increased in Quebec, as everywhere in the world since the start of the pandemic, Dr. Alex Nguyen has not experienced more racism in the last year. “The fact that I'm a doctor may have protected me,” he said. However, this was not the case for Asian doctors elsewhere in the world. Indeed, in some countries, patients categorically refused to be seen by an Asian doctor because of the pandemic, said Dr. Nguyen (who has not heard of such a case in Quebec). He is also worried about the opposite problem. "I'm afraid that there are doctors who will not see Asian patients because of the pandemic," he said. He says he fears that professionals will provide inferior care to patients because of their skin colour. “We don't know why, but I think it has to do with the fact that there is systemic racism. Usually, we pay more attention to the patients in front of us if they have a slightly paler skin color,” he said. Movements like Black lives Matter and events like the tragic death of Joyce Echaquan have opened many's eyes to the racism in our societies. The death of the Atikamekw woman has also convinced the Quebec College of Physicians to take a stand to denounce systemic racism, said the young doctor. “I've been in Montreal for a little while and now I see a greater openness to other cultures. Information and education will help reduce ignorance in our society and create a culture of tolerance and acceptance,” said Dr Nguyen.

Quebec doctor speaks out against patient racism

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics

Business Topic