Community Health Needs and Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Health Needs and Services - Essay Example Many health practitioners hold the assumption that health is a universal value where one single framework can uniformly apply to all populations. Most of these approaches have failed to apply and take root in the American Indian community due to the failure on the part of the healthcare providers to articulate their unique culture. Many American Indians hold dearly to it as they continue to pass it down from one generation to another. The American Indians, therefore, looks towards their culture when looking for beliefs, values, and perspectives on illness and subsequent measures of managing it (Garcia). The government has over the years subjected the indigenous people to very many inhuman acts that have rendered them homeless and without land. Their culture is the only item that they still have that truly belongs to them. The American Indian culture holds extended relationships in high regard where they tackle many problems whether spiritual, mental and physical in a communal manner. Their notions differ considerably with the one-on-one consultations with the contemporary medical practitioners. They also hold their traditional healing methods in high regard, and it is always the first resort before even contemplating going to a conventional hospital. The shamans are all-knowing, and they know one’s problem before they even say it and they also have a cure for everything. The Indians expect the same from a hospital where the doctor is supposed to cure them without asking them to undertake other procedure such as lifestyle change.