It started out as just another day down at the public health clinic in town. Rebecca had gone there a number of times already to learn as much as she could about the Brazilian medical care system and to add medical terms to her Portuguese vocabulary. What she witnessed this day, though, reminded her that she was learning about medical care within a different culture than her own.
It all started out with the simple refusal of a mentally- deficient patient to receive a tetnus vaccination. There was much discussion between the patient and the medical staff as the clinic attempted to persuade this man that he did, indeed, need the tetnus shot. It was for his good. Yes, it would hurt a little but getting tetnus was far worse than the prick of a needle.
After some time, every argument to verbally persuade the determined patient to get the necessary injection was exhausted. Seemingly the patient had won the battle. For him there would be no needle pricks today—or would there? The next thing Rebecca knew, there were two or three uniformed policemen rushing into the room, grabbing the patient and holding him fast. Today he would be getting the tetnus shot afterall. Somebody had called the cops.
Rebecca has found her observation of Brazilian culture to be as interesting as the language. Even at the medical clinic things are handled just a little differently here than back home.
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