While we may think of poverty as a problem that only affects people in other countries, it also has a tremendous impact on our own people here at home. This is especially true in healthcare. The socioeconomic divide punishes communities in poverty by limiting their access to quality healthcare.
After high school, I plan to study biology and other sciences in college and then I plan to attend medical school to become a doctor. Over the past few years, I gained a better understanding of the challenges people living in poverty must face in their everyday lives. “Think of a child with asthma living in a mold-filled apartment, a man with an infected foot living on the streets and sleeping in his dirty, wet shoes, or a person with diabetes without a refrigerator to store insulin.” In fact, many hospitals have closed their doors in low-income communities and relocated to high-income communities. The Post-Gazette/Journal Sentinel analysis shows that nearly two-thirds of the roughly 230 hospitals opened since 2000 are in wealthier, mostly suburban areas. In addition, living in poverty often means having very limited access to healthy food. Poor nutrition means poor health and this almost always lowers peoples’ life expectancy.
Helping those in need gain access to good healthcare can make a world of difference in our society. Life expectancy rates will rise. People who are struggling will be able to prosper. As a future doctor, I can continue to teach others to help those in poverty. Everyone has at least an hour per week to spare to volunteer and make a difference. If we address the problem of access to healthcare and healthy food, people will have more time and energy to devote to improving their education. We all know that education is extremely important to create a bright future. The quality of education in our country has not yet reached its full potential. For now, we should focus on solving one problem at a time.
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