Case Study
An elderly Indian woman is visited at her home by emergency medical technicians after an emergency call from her family indicating she is having heart palpitations and chest pains. She is wearing a Mungal Sutra around her neck that was given to her by her husband o her wedding day that has never been removed. The technician proceeds to examine her and asks if she can remove the item from around her neck so he can check her heart rate and give a thorough exam. She responds by telling him she can never remove it because it is an important symbol equal to the wedding ring on his finger. She is very adamant i her response and grasps the pendant in her hand tightly. The technician agrees but warns her that on arrival at the hospital x-rays will need to be taken and then she must remove it.
The woman begins to cry and calls for her daughter, explaining she does not want to go to the hospital. The technician is confused and explains the situation to the daughter, who advises that they will have to find a way to take care of her mother with the Mungal Sutra on because as her mother’s husband is already in the hospital, she has never removed it since the day she was married, and removing the item will be too traumatic for her. The technician agrees and assures the woman and her daughter that they will find a way to work it out as they prepare her for placement in the ambulance. The daughter rides with her mother in the ambulance to the hospital, advising her that the Mungal Sutra will not be removed as her mother clutches it tightly.
How could the technician have handled this better from a cultural competence standpoint? Did the technician ease or add to the patient’s stress by handling the situation, and how could this scenario been different. Please make sure your answer is at least 100 words.
