Essay week 4, cultural sensitivity in health care
Refugees are people fleeing their country of origin. In 2021 a total of 36,620 people applied for
asylum in the Netherlands (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, n.d.). All refugees in the Netherlands
have the right to medical care. In the Netherlands, the medical care of refugees is financed by The
Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid, 2022). This
agency has agreements with health insurers for the medical costs of refugees. Refugees do not have
to cover their medical expenses. At the moment these costs are separate from regular health
insurance which means it does not affect to insurance premiums of Dutch citizens. But refugees
come from different cultures which means they have other values, beliefs, and behaviors concerning
health care, which are often not considered.
I believe an additional budget should be allocated to ensure access to culturally sensitive health care
for refugees and asylum seekers, even if this increases health insurance premiums for Dutch citizens.
Acknowledging these differences is called cultural sensitivity. Providing culturally sensitive health
care means not only treating the patient but also meeting the patient's social, cultural, and linguistic
needs (Tucker et al., 2011). It acknowledges their culture and recognizes possible differences in
health care (Becoming a Culturally Competent Health Care Organization | AHA, 2013). Cultural
sensitivity in health care is very important for multiple reasons.
First of all, it promotes equality and justice, and dignity in health care. Furthermore, it results in
better patient outcomes (Dell’Osso, 2016). It provides more patient knowledge, gives the patient a
better sense of empowerment, makes sure the patient understands better what their course of
treatment is and them feel more motivated to manage their disease (Dell’Osso, 2016). I would
understand opponents who would say that it would be at the expense of Dutch citizens if their health
care premiums go up. However, I feel very strongly that we should also remember the ethical side of
this, that everyone has the right to the right medical care. These people have endured enough and
the least we can do for them is to make sure they get proper medical attention without worry. It is
very important to acknowledge other cultures and realize that Western health care might not always
be the most fitting. The right to the right medical care, therefore, means that sometimes we need to
acknowledge that the other culture is more fitting and effective.
So, to conclude, I feel like we should acknowledge the importance of cultural sensitivity in health
care for the practical, but more importantly the ethical aspects, even though this means Dutch
insurance premiums might go up.
Refugees are people fleeing their country of origin. In 2021 a total of 36,620 people applied for
asylum in the Netherlands (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, n.d.). All refugees in the Netherlands
have the right to medical care. In the Netherlands, the medical care of refugees is financed by The
Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid, 2022). This
agency has agreements with health insurers for the medical costs of refugees. Refugees do not have
to cover their medical expenses. At the moment these costs are separate from regular health
insurance which means it does not affect to insurance premiums of Dutch citizens. But refugees
come from different cultures which means they have other values, beliefs, and behaviors concerning
health care, which are often not considered.
I believe an additional budget should be allocated to ensure access to culturally sensitive health care
for refugees and asylum seekers, even if this increases health insurance premiums for Dutch citizens.
Acknowledging these differences is called cultural sensitivity. Providing culturally sensitive health
care means not only treating the patient but also meeting the patient's social, cultural, and linguistic
needs (Tucker et al., 2011). It acknowledges their culture and recognizes possible differences in
health care (Becoming a Culturally Competent Health Care Organization | AHA, 2013). Cultural
sensitivity in health care is very important for multiple reasons.
First of all, it promotes equality and justice, and dignity in health care. Furthermore, it results in
better patient outcomes (Dell’Osso, 2016). It provides more patient knowledge, gives the patient a
better sense of empowerment, makes sure the patient understands better what their course of
treatment is and them feel more motivated to manage their disease (Dell’Osso, 2016). I would
understand opponents who would say that it would be at the expense of Dutch citizens if their health
care premiums go up. However, I feel very strongly that we should also remember the ethical side of
this, that everyone has the right to the right medical care. These people have endured enough and
the least we can do for them is to make sure they get proper medical attention without worry. It is
very important to acknowledge other cultures and realize that Western health care might not always
be the most fitting. The right to the right medical care, therefore, means that sometimes we need to
acknowledge that the other culture is more fitting and effective.
So, to conclude, I feel like we should acknowledge the importance of cultural sensitivity in health
care for the practical, but more importantly the ethical aspects, even though this means Dutch
insurance premiums might go up.
