Soon to be renamed Blekingedad, Swedenstand...
Posted on 12/29/2006 11:11:17 AM PST by Eurotwit
An American woman has been refused treatment by a doctor in Blekinge in southern Sweden because of her nationality. The woman's husband has now reported the incident to the Medical Responsibility Board.
Valery Johansson, who lives in a small town just outside Nashville, Tennessee, was in Sweden to celebrate Christmas with her husband's family.
On Christmas Day, worried that she may have contracted strep throat, she sought medical help. Her husband and niece made an appointment for her at a clinic in the town of Karlshamn.
"We went up there and the nurses were really nice. They did some swab tests, which they then passed on to a doctor," Johansson told The Local.
But when the American woman, accompanied by her husband and niece, went to meet the doctor in his treatment room, he declined to examine her.
Rather than introduce himself, the doctor waved the patient's papers and shouted "she doesn't have strep throat, she doesn't have strep throat". He then added that he would not treat her.
"He said he didn't like Americans," said Johansson.
He also disliked hearing English spoken in his treatment room and soon walked out.
"We just couldn't believe it. We were left standing there with our mouths hanging open," said Johansson.
According to Johansson, the doctor was a Palestinian who objected to American foreign policy in the Middle East.
Her niece followed the doctor into the office to confront him but was told: "I don't deal with people like that".
When Johansson returned to the clinic the following day she was met by a manager, who apologised and encouraged her to report the matter to the Medical Responsibility Board.
The nurses were also embarrassed by the doctor's behaviour and repaid the 820 kronor that Johansson had handed over in advance for her treatment. They too advised her to report the doctor.
In the report Johansson has claimed that she was discriminated against on ethnic grounds.
Before returning to the United States at the beginning of January she also intends reporting the incident to the American Embassy in Stockholm.
Ping
And they a call us ugly Americans because we can afford to buy the local items in their shops and they can't.
I would have told him: "Fine, since I don't have strep, can I cough in your face?"
Some people just need a whuppin'.
Sounds like the Swedes are a bunch of xenophobes.
" the doctor was a Palestinian ..."
Excuse me, but I don't think I'd want to be treated by a Palestinian doctor, especially if he's honoring the intifada.
Not good for business...who would trust a guy like this to dispense medication?
Soon to be renamed Blekingedad, Swedenstand...
Seems like the staff doesn't like him either.
I just hope she's a card carrying democrat. Maybe this little episode will open her eyes a tad.
A truly asinine comment, considering the doctor in question was a Palestinian.
Even if he was Swedish, it's an asinine thing to say.
They should get a bunch of people together who speak Hebrew in his office. I bet that would make his day.
Let him practice medicine in Ramallah.
There are quite a few gifted medical practitioners in the ROP
Is that quote from Massoud?
Good catch.
Sounds like you missed the dripping sarcasm in the post you responded to.
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