Bridgewater EMT Sheds Light On COVID Healthcare Issues

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Serving as an active Emergency Medical Technician serving the Bridgewater community, Shreya Ashok has seen how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting residents.

"The current crisis has exacerbated and brought to the forefront the clear healthcare disparities that exist amongst our country's varying demographics," said Ashok, a senior at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

In EMS, Ashok said she has observed that it is commonplace for patients to refuse vital medical care because they cannot afford the costly medical bills from treatment and transport.

A few weeks ago, Ashok said her EMT unit went to a family doctor's office where a minority woman was suffering from a serious heart condition that if she didn't go to the hospital it could be serious.

"She didn't want to go to the hospital because she didn't have the means to pay for treatment even though she understood it was a life-threatening condition. She still decided not to go against medical advice," Ashok said.

Ashok noted that this situation was "heartbreaking" but not uncommon for her to witness.

In an effort to shed some light on this situation, Ashok created a webinar series called "COVID Talks" to help better inform residents.

In the series, Ashok holds open discussions with medical professionals from around the country. This allows the community to learn from the medical professionals' experiences about how COVID has exacerbated unequal access issues in healthcare.

The series was initially geared towards students focusing on STEM learning, but it has since expanded to gain attention from residents throughout the area.

"I am hoping to increase visibility in regards to this issue," Ashok said. "A first world country should do better at providing equitable health care to the community."

To learn more about "COVID Talks" follow Ashok on Instagram, click here or email her at shreyaashok281@yahoo.com.

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