Is medicine equal for everyone? The “Mediterranean syndrome”, which is increasingly studied, has nothing to do with any pathology. It would actually be a racist prejudice, which would be shared by certain caregivers. Indeed, according to testimonies from people concerned, the pain of racialized French people is too often minimized. Worse, according to some doctors, these patients tend to exaggerate their pain, making them less credible when they describe their symptoms. This problem has been named the “Mediterranean syndrome”. These stereotypes, inherited from slave and colonial eras, persist in society and influence the way in which certain caregivers perceive and treat patients, and sometimes have dramatic consequences. This phenomenon was highlighted by an online survey, entitled “Samu, firefighters, 112, hospital… Were you poorly received? Testify”, launched after the death of Naomi Musenga. Indeed, the 22-year-old young woman died after contacting the SAMU, but without being taken seriously. This Strasbourg woman was finally transported to hospital thanks to SOS Doctors, but much too late, and died there of a cardiac arrest.
Insidious discrimination
This survey collected more than 1,000 poignant testimonies… The figures reveal that 49% of participants saw their comments questioned by emergency reception staff, with a higher propensity for those with Arabic or Berber sounding names (55%)and 60% for women, reported The Parisian, on July 9, 2018. Thus, more than half of the participants experienced mockery or degrading remarks, particularly women with African-sounding names (65%), people suffering from serious or complex illnesses (68%), and overweight individuals (71%). Grossophobia was also highlighted by this survey, emphasizing the urgency of in-depth reflection and concrete measures to put an end to this medical discrimination.