Health And Racism

715 Words3 Pages

decided to write this current event about issues towards health care programs. While I was searching for a good article I came across a really interesting one that approaches England’s health care system and how it could be racist. The article starts by explaining the unpleasant experience of Eche Egbouno, a black male who suffers of bipolar disorder. Eche was sectioned by the mental health act, but instead of taking him to a hospital they took him to the police station. He says that being there made him feel even worst, like he was a criminal. Two days later he had a problem at his parents’ house and they called the police. This time he refused to go with them “so they brought the teaser out, 50,000 bolts”. Eche insists this made him feel distrusting towards the system, “it made him feel like a criminal”. Jacqui Dyer, vice chair of the government appointed mental health taskforce, …show more content…

Health, according to our book, is the “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being” (Macionis). Racism refers to “the assertion that people of one race are less worthy than or even biologically inferior to others, is the most serious example of prejudice” (Macionis). As we can see from the first example the article is giving us, there is a problem towards black people in England’s mental health care system. That is something we need to have clear. Echo Egbouno is a man who needed help and instead he ended up at the police station, made him look and feel like a criminal. All he needed was help because he does not feel like he has proper or stable mental health. Jacqui Dyer, speaks up for all this inequality black people in England are suffering of. She claims there is institutional inequality towards black males and females. According to Macionis, institutional inequality or racism refers to the strong use of racism in important public institutions, in this case the health care