The Hmong people encountered a lot of restrictions in their attempt to obtain quality healthcare in California. The western biomedicine was regarded as some cultural system. The Hmong, having a population with a high growth rate, arrived in Fresno while encountering numerous challenges that revolved around Western biomedicine and their own traditional healthcare beliefs. The traditional ways which they believed in very firmly, of the Hmong refugees caused their slowed adaptations to the western system of delivering healthcare. Besides, they had little knowledge of the English language and deep government distrust. They rarely trusted outsiders and other institutions including those that provided health care. In chapter five of The spirit Catches You and You fall Down by Ann Fadiman, Lia lee's parents Nao Kao and Foua took her to Merced Community Medical Center after developing seizures (Fadiman, 1997). However, Lia's father refused to believe that obesity contributed to the difficulty in her treatment as they liked her when fat. They refused to allow the doctors to tie up Lia's hands, calling them sadistic. They also did not like the idea of using anticonvulsants to treat her condition, and this caused her to experience mental retardation due to non-compliance. Nao Kao and Foua failed to follow the doctor's instructions on how Lia was supposed to take the medications.
The Hmong view of illnesses was at the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical level. For example, they viewed perfect health as having the aspect of spirit and body in a right balance. Illnesses for that matter resulted from interference in either the spiritual or the physical being of a person. Illnesses resulted from spiritual causes such as curse instilled in a given family, ancestors expressing anger, spirits that were evil and a person loses his or her soul. On the other hand, the physical causes of illness included inappropriate dietary practices and vulnerability to some environmental factors. Application of western medical care and a variety of traditional medicinal products was used to manage physical illness efficiently (Fadiman, 1997). A wide range of traditional herbs was used for treating the diseases. The western methods of treatment were sometimes used in addition to the herbal treatment methods. When a person became sick, particular vegetables and hot food were recommended. Hot rice and chicken were the most preferred among the Hmong. They were also required to take warm water. The Hmong linked good health of a person to the kind of soul that resides in the person. Loss of these souls could occur as a result of an illness or some invasive procedure.
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For any form of spiritual healing to take place, the soul that had been lost had to be recovered from some different area of existence. For this reason, a practice is known as soul calling used to be conducted by a shaman. In chapter nineteen of the book, The Spirit Catches You, and You Fall Down , Lia undergoes a healing ceremony to eliminate her epilepsy by restoring her lost soul. They used two pigs, a male and a female pig. Besides, a bag containing fresh vegetables as well as herbs were made available (Fadiman, 1997). Upon eating the meat of the pigs, the Shaman was required to leave the bones to dry outside the house after which he would burn them when the Hmong year comes to an end. The ritual was done to release the soul of the pigs from their duties to act a substitute for Lia's soul and give way for their rebirth to take place. Sacrifices involving food or animals, performing religious ceremonies and wearing of amulets were all methods used to treat spiritual illnesses.
Many people from the Hmong community did not understand the concept of preventive medicine or how to manage chronic illnesses which may require treatment on a daily basis. They are also not familiar with the role of germs in causing diseases (Fadiman, 1997). Hence immunization is a strange term when it comes to managing diseases. In fact, in their traditional practice, Immunizations were not accepted. They disliked it when something is put into their bodies. It was a requirement that a person who undergoes immunization goes through the process of reincarnation with a body having something that is foreign or even at times with a complete body.
As was the case with immunization, surgical procedures were not allowed. Surgery was believed to result in someone losing a soul due to the opening the body. They were also of the opinion that surgery could lead to one's body being disfigured in his or her lifetime, not only in the current one. In chapter eighteen of The Spirit Catches You and You fall Down , we learn of a child who is in San Diego born with a harelip. The parents would not allow doctors to perform surgical procedures due to social ostracism which the child would experience hence they fled the hospital. A child diagnosed with retinoblastoma in Michigan failed to undergo surgery because the parents refused (Fadiman, 1997). The operation in some circumstances was accepted, but this had to be in consultation with the leaders and clan shaman. No sick children were allowed to take vegetables but could only eat boiled chicken and rice. The diet also included small amounts of herbal medicines.
The Hmong people did not welcome blood transfusion or donation of organs. However, blood tests were accepted, but this made them question the whole procedure. For instance, they had to seek clarification on the need for significant volumes of their blood (Fadiman, 1997). For the Hmong patients building trust was the key to achieving positive outcomes regarding health. Information regarding health was only shared among particular members of the clan because privacy is paramount to them.
Reference
Fadiman, A. (1997). The spirit catches you and you fall down. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux , 1-100.
