Magda lost her leg as a teenager as a result of a skiing accident. Since then, she has been in a wheelchair. She always had a lot of support from her parents and brother. She managed to finish her studies and get married. She worked as an English teacher in a private language school, which she traveled to in a specially adapted car. At work, she moved on her own, using the trolley that she carried with her in the car, and the elevator. The first problems arose when she became pregnant. In a state clinic, she heard a nurse straightforwardly: «And what do you need your baby for? You will not be able to do it ».
- Although offices should provide access to examinations and consultations for disabled people, in practice this is a very big problem
- Women with disabilities not only face technical problems, such as the lack of adapted couches, but also face discrimination on the part of staff
- It happens that gynecologists are reluctant to see patients with disabilities. – The visit takes longer and the money is the same
An office for special needs
Magda was not polite to answer that she is doing great, better than many healthy people, moreover, she has a whole supporting family with her loving husband at the forefront. After this insult, she changed the hospital into a private clinic. Standard – the quality of the service immediately turned out to be higher, this also applied to the treatment of her, disabled Magda, during her visits. Her husband consulted her. It was he who helped Magda change her wheelchair into a gynecological chair. Fortunately, Magda was light. At least until the sixth month of pregnancy.
People with disabilities come to private gynecological offices more and more often, usually they call first to make sure that they are admitted.
– Unfortunately, many gynecological offices are still not adapted to the needs of disabled people. You need a ramp, an elevator, and a bathroom adapted for the disabled, which generates high costs. It is not always possible to meet these conditions. Cooperation with the National Health Fund imposes an obligation to ensure all this, I have succeeded. Since then, I noticed that when I adapted my office, I started to have a much larger number of disabled people. For this, in the office, you need a chair that can be adjusted so that a disabled person can be placed on it. Often an extra person or even two is needed to collaborate. The patient’s weight and the type of disability are important – says the drug. med. Ryszard Rutkowski, gynecologist-endocrinologist.
– I have already had patients with motor disabilities, lack of legs, limb paralysis, urinary and fecal incontinence, deaf people, mentally ill people and people not cooperating with a gynecologist – says the expert.
– During the research, the help of third parties is very much needed. Activities such as transferring, supporting the legs are involved. With the good intentions of me and the disabled person’s guardian, it somehow succeeds. Often the examination is difficult and maybe not as accurate as with a cooperating patient. Good communication between us is always important. I still hear that some doctors are defending themselves against such patients. The lack of adapted offices is common, the main problem is the hygiene of such patients and the lack of time. And here the visit lasts three or four times longer than the standard one. And the money is received the same – the gynecologist concludes. In a word, it doesn’t pay off, but it’s worth it.
Adaptations are a myth?
“Public authorities are obliged to provide special health care for children, pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly”. – we read in article 68 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws 1997.78.483).
The Homo Faber Association operates in Lublin, which checked whether there are offices in Lublin adapted to the needs of the disabled. It turned out that there are practically no such. Out of 19 offices, only one had a couch that could be easily lowered.
Katarzyna Bierzanowska is the author of the report “A woman comes to the doctor – the availability of gynecological services for women with disabilities”. The report states that the above-mentioned association and its activities were the inspiration, and further: “A broader, direct picture of the experiences of women with disabilities has become necessary in order to understand the scope of the lack of system solutions that should be expected due to Poland’s obligations resulting mainly from the ratification of 2012 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which clearly defines the state’s obligations regarding the availability of health care and taking into account the gender perspective ».
The report shows that the location of the office and its accessibility help in the decision of a disabled person to see a gynecologist, an important factor is the availability of an assistant, but also the opinion about the doctor and the facility.
«Women with motor disabilities, but also deaf and hard of hearing women prefer to be examined by gynecologists, not by gynecologists. The examination in women increases the comfort of the visit itself, but also facilitates communication. A man may have a beard and find it difficult to read his lips ».
However, the most distressing is the approach to the sexuality of women with disabilities, who are usually denied this right (especially this applies to the mentally disabled). The question is often asked: “Do you really need this visit?”.
You need to be very resilient and self-accepted to face such challenges, say the respondents. Currently, there is also no form of free transport available – communication is not always adapted to the needs of the disabled. Women are also shy to ask for help.
– My gynecologist is really wonderful – says Magda at the end. Not once have I encountered inappropriate communication or a lack of culture. He is highly professional and I wish such doctors to all the disabled.
This may interest you:
- What do Polish women hear from gynecologists? «You saved money on a condom», «your breasts are too small»
- With a gynecologist on the Internet? 8 emergency situations in which this is a good option
- «The doctor squeezed the baby out with his elbow. I thought I was going to die ». Who pays for medical errors in Poland?
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