Saving the starfish: Physicians' roles in responding to human rights abuses in global health practice

Abstract

This paper examines how an overseas medical student can improve the life of a kamlari, an indentured servant girl in Nepal. I argue that physicians and students should not only provide care for the health and well-being of patients but also act to ameliorate the suffering of their patients, particularly when patients' social, cultural, economic, and political vulnerabilities overshadow their immediate clinical needs. I also address the point that medical schools need to offer courses on health advocacy and activism in order to promote health equity and social justice for all.