Page 128 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 128
ko Prosen, Sabina Ličen, Urška Bogataj, Doroteja Rebec, and Igor Karnjuš
It is easier if you have with you an interpreter [. . .] the Albanian lan-
guage is difficult to learn. It is hard to get someone who understands.
[INTE_23_1_KOS]
A woman from Russia described her experience when hospitalised for
the first time in Slovenia. She explained that the word ‘better’ (in Slovenian
‘boljše’) means bigger in Russian (in Slovenian ‘večje’).
[. . .] and then the nurse asked me about the presence of pain: ‘Is it
better?’ and I said: ‘Yes.’ And then she left the room. I did not get the
analgesics at that time. This happened only once and never again.
[INTE_37_1_RU]
Another aspect of ensuring culturally sensitive care is the absence of prej-
udice and discrimination among healthcare professionals towards the pa-
tients they care for. The interviewees did not report any negative experiences
with healthcare professionals, although one of them, a woman from Serbia,
pointed out that ‘rude people exist everywhere in the world, in the home
country as well as in the host country.’ She also described her encounter with
a female gynaecologist, since she had desired to give birth in a maternity
clinic different to that suggested by the gynaecologist (the woman further
explained that her gynaecologist also works there part time). The woman
declined and her gynaecologist gave the following answer:
‘Yes, you foreigners, you always want to do things your way, you do not
listen to advice.’ I was quite offended and I mentioned to her that if my
last name were the same as my husband’s we would not be having this
conversation. [INTE_22_1_SRB]
Despite this experience, and considering situations that the women did
not mention, they all recognised the healthcare system in Slovenia as being
superior to the healthcare system in their home country.
Slovenia has a good health system. In Kosovo, the physicians are good,
but the system does not function. [. . .] we receive much more in Slove-
nia from the health system than we did in Kosovo. [INTE_23_1_KOS]
Healthcare is a disaster. There is no health system in Bosnia. [INTE_35_3
_BIH]
I believe Slovenia has a high-quality health system. In my opinion, the
system here is even better than in Germany. [INTE_36_1_RU]
126
It is easier if you have with you an interpreter [. . .] the Albanian lan-
guage is difficult to learn. It is hard to get someone who understands.
[INTE_23_1_KOS]
A woman from Russia described her experience when hospitalised for
the first time in Slovenia. She explained that the word ‘better’ (in Slovenian
‘boljše’) means bigger in Russian (in Slovenian ‘večje’).
[. . .] and then the nurse asked me about the presence of pain: ‘Is it
better?’ and I said: ‘Yes.’ And then she left the room. I did not get the
analgesics at that time. This happened only once and never again.
[INTE_37_1_RU]
Another aspect of ensuring culturally sensitive care is the absence of prej-
udice and discrimination among healthcare professionals towards the pa-
tients they care for. The interviewees did not report any negative experiences
with healthcare professionals, although one of them, a woman from Serbia,
pointed out that ‘rude people exist everywhere in the world, in the home
country as well as in the host country.’ She also described her encounter with
a female gynaecologist, since she had desired to give birth in a maternity
clinic different to that suggested by the gynaecologist (the woman further
explained that her gynaecologist also works there part time). The woman
declined and her gynaecologist gave the following answer:
‘Yes, you foreigners, you always want to do things your way, you do not
listen to advice.’ I was quite offended and I mentioned to her that if my
last name were the same as my husband’s we would not be having this
conversation. [INTE_22_1_SRB]
Despite this experience, and considering situations that the women did
not mention, they all recognised the healthcare system in Slovenia as being
superior to the healthcare system in their home country.
Slovenia has a good health system. In Kosovo, the physicians are good,
but the system does not function. [. . .] we receive much more in Slove-
nia from the health system than we did in Kosovo. [INTE_23_1_KOS]
Healthcare is a disaster. There is no health system in Bosnia. [INTE_35_3
_BIH]
I believe Slovenia has a high-quality health system. In my opinion, the
system here is even better than in Germany. [INTE_36_1_RU]
126
