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Discrimination and the Roma Community 2014
Cases of discrimination in health-care
1.
Jaen.
Health.
Direct discrimination.
A mediator from Jaen went to a health clinic for a pap smear screening.
The doctor asked her for her personal details and when she asked her for her ID number and the women told her
the doctor was amazed and said “so you know your ID number?” to which the mediator replied: “Yes, that and
many more things.” The doctor then continued with the questionnaire.
This case is an example of prejudice against the Roma community related to education.
2.
Talavera de la Reina.
Health.
Direct discrimination.
A young man who is an Acceder employment program-
me beneficiary told us that his 14 year old son needed braces on his teeth. In January he took out a private health
insurance policy and was given a 50% discount.
This insurance included dental work done at this clinic. They took an x-ray and the man paid 14 Euros for it.
A few days later the child went to the clinic with his mother for another x-ray and observed how other patients
paid for the medical services after receiving treatment.
When it was her son’s turn the medical assistant at the desk told her that according to the law she had to make
payment before the child received his treatment. The mother said that everyone else was paying afterwards to
which the assistant replied that it didn’t matter what everyone else did. She said she understood if the woman
would rather not pay in advance but if that was the case she would have to leave.
The mother asked for a complaint form on which the assistant wrote that treatments costing over 100 Euros
must be paid in advance.
The mother felt discriminated against because the assistant treated her differently because she was Roma.
She decided to call the insurance company to see if she could get her son’s treatment at a different clinic.
3.
Barcelona Health.
Direct discrimination.
A Romanian Roma man participating in FSG educational pro-
grammes in Catalonia burned himself in an accident at home.
A local FSG staff member accompanied the
young man and his family to the health clinic (he had no health-care card) to make sure he received treatment
and to apply for a health-care card.
Upon leaving the clinic after treatment we discovered that the doctor who treated him had given the family a
note which said:
“Assign physician. (not me if possible) lol. As soon as possible to facilitate prescriptions, etc. Rafa”.
Writing a note like that and giving it to the family clearly implies predetermined and prejudiced ideas, the only
plausible explanation being that the doctor assumed that they could not read. This is a widespread stereotype
people have of the Roma community.
4.
Barcelona Health.
Direct discrimination.
FSG staff members in Barcelona reported that certain health
care centres were refusing to treat Romanian Roma children.
Medical care is a right protected under Organic Law 1/96 of 15 January 1996 on the Legal Protection of Minors,
upholding the right to health care for aliens under 18 in Spain, even if they have not established legal residence in
Spain and are not included within a family unit with legal residence.
The FSG Equality Department sent a well reasoned letter of complaint informing the authorities that failure to
uphold this right is an act of discrimination.