TV presenter Dr Amir Khan says some South Asian women are facing discrimination within the healthcare system.
The Bradford-based GP, who regularly appears on ITV’s Lorraine and This Morning, as resident doctor and health expert, has spoken out saying serious health problems could be easily missed.
In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Dr Khan, who has 520,000 followers, says he has noticed something known as “Mrs Begum syndrome”, which is also referred to as Bibi syndrome or Bibi-itis.
He said: “Sadly medical racism and misogyny exists in healthcare when managing all women but especially women from historically marginalised backgrounds. Begum or Bibi are common South Asian surnames for South Asian ladies.”
He explained that these terms, while not being official diagnoses, highlight a form of medical racism that disproportionately affects female patients of South Asian heritage. It involves the dismissal of vague symptoms presented by South Asian women, which can lead to missed diagnoses and serious health complications.
“I’ve heard healthcare professionals from all backgrounds use these terms as a way of dismissing these ladies, their symptoms and concerns,” Dr Khan said. “That can lead to missing a potentially serious or manageable condition.”
He goes on to explain in his post, that this issue extends beyond medical bias and goes hand-in-hand with classism.
Many patients from historically marginalised backgrounds may lack the English language proficiency necessary to articulate their symptoms accurately. This challenge is particularly pronounced among those from working-class backgrounds, who are often underrepresented in the medical field. The combination of language barriers and socioeconomic disparities creates an environment ripe for discriminatory stereotypes and inadequate care.
He goes on to explain that women of South Asian descent face unique health challenges, including a heightened risk for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, if they have travelled abroad, they may be susceptible to infections that are unfamiliar to medical professionals in the UK.
“If they’ve travelled abroad to the Indian subcontinent, for example, they can pick up unusual infections that clinicians here may not be too familiar with,” said Dr Khan. “And although they may be able to speak multiple languages beautifully, they may not have a full command of the English language, which can make it hard for them to describe symptoms accurately.”
He added that when it comes to conditions like menopause, the symptoms can be widespread and varied. Even women who are fluent in English often find their symptoms dismissed. For those who do not have English as their first language, the task of accurately describing their experiences can be particularly daunting.
He said that this difficulty was further intensified when discussing complex conditions associated with chronic pain or mood disorders, where communication is critical for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Khan added: “It’s important to say this is not an issue that affects just South Asian women. It is women from all historically marginalised backgrounds. It is part of the reason why Black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth in the UK as White women, and Asian women twice as likely to die. And all of this is against the background of all women struggling to be taken seriously for some of their conditions.”
He said: “Let’s unbake it out of the system. Many of these women are already disadvantaged by society. We don’t need medical racism to add to this and increase their likelihood of suffering longer. It undermines the delivery of clinical care and it reinforces differences and consolidates barriers.”
To improve healthcare delivery, Dr Khan is calling for a shift in how clinicians approach their patients and that healthcare professionals must adapt their methodologies to recognise that individuals from diverse backgrounds may present symptoms differently. This fundamental understanding is important for providing unbiased care.
Dr Khan explains that the medical community must prioritise better research into women’s health conditions, particularly focusing on how these conditions manifest across different demographic groups.
Dr Khan’s video garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, as many viewers resonated with his message.
“You’re never afraid of speaking abt things how they actually are!! Well done,” one user, taibahshakes.mcr, wrote in response to the video.
Another user, lisahreeve, wrote: “Working as a nurse in pain management I see this every day- every woman needs to be treated with respect and understanding and most importantly be listened to! Thank you for speaking up!”
