A 22 year old woman, emigrated with her fmaily from Somalia, has been re-admitted for
treatment of active
tuberculosis. Three
months a go, she came to the hospital because of coughing up blood. The work up revealed pulmonary
tuberculosis. In fact, she was not critically ill. In addition, the
treatment was to be provided without charge. When the therapy begun, she refused medication and said that she wanted to die. Eventually she was sent home with outpatient treatment being presumably cured.
Those involved in this patient''s care experienced a very tough time and called for some discussion to prevent untimely death.AT last it was learnt that in Somalia, person with tuberculosis are shunned. After moving to America the stigma still persists. And only her death would frees her family from that burden.Then she was let do as her and her fmaily desire. She died when they withdrew the ventilator support.