Shustho: Bangladeshi women need culturally competent care
Mind. Body. Spirit.
Michigan is home to the third largest population of Bangladeshis in the U.S., with a significant number living in the Metro Detroit area.
Bangladeshi immigrants struggle with several challenges when trying to access health care. Among them are language, cultural competency, and adequate insurance.
As part of a new four-part series called “Shustho: Mind, Body, and Spirit,” WDET’s Nargis Rahman reports on how Bangladeshi women in Southeast Michigan are overcoming cultural barriers.
Check out the series at: wdet.org/shustho.
In our second iteration, learn more about how cultural competency impacts Bangladeshi women.
Shustho: Bangladeshi women rely on culturally competent care for better health outcomes
Family Nurse Practitioner Farzana Noor noticed a growing need among Bangladeshi women seeking care at her clinic in Hamtramck. Noor is the medical director at the Children’s Clinic of Michigan.
“It’s hard for them to go elsewhere to a provider who maybe is not Bangladeshi and hope that they have the same level of understanding of what their needs are and everything that they’re dealing with at home,” Noor said.
Dr. Tabtila Chowdhury is a resident doctor at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. She frequently sees Bangladeshi women in the ER. Many arrive with untreated conditions because they don’t have a primary care physician.
“I make it a fact when I’m working, I always pick up all the Bengali patients, and I do a much better, more in depth, just like, dive into, their health care because half the time, people can’t even explain what’s going on with them,” she said.
Rumyah Rafique has had similar experiences at The Health Unit on Davison Avenue, where she’s a medical interpreter. She offers her services to Bangladeshi patients, finding that women are more receptive to female health care providers.
“I usually can tell if a patient is Bangladeshi, and I always let the provider know that if this is a patient that needs interpretation, that I am a qualified interpreter, that I’ve done this type of work, and that I’m more than willing to provide that service for this patient,” she said.