...In a world riven by inequity, medicine could be viewed as social justice work. Paul Farmer More Quotes by Paul Farmer More Quotes From Paul Farmer The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world. Paul Farmer nature roots ideas If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right? Paul Farmer human-rights care health For me, an area of moral clarity is: you're in front of someone who's suffering and you have the tools at your disposal to alleviate that suffering or even eradicate it, and you act. Paul Farmer moral tools suffering With rare exceptions, all of your most important achievements on this planet will come from working with others- or, in a word, partnership. Paul Farmer working-with-others achievement important God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he's not the one who's supposed to divvy up the loot. You want to see where Christ crucified abides today? Go to where the poor are suffering and fighting back, and that's where He is. Paul Farmer fighting suffering giving The essence of global health equity is the idea that something so precious as health might be viewed as a right. Paul Farmer essence might ideas If I am hungry, that is a material problem; if someone else is hungry, that is a spiritual problem. Paul Farmer hungry problem spiritual The poorest parts of the world are by and large the places in which one can best view the worst of medicine and not because doctors in these countries have different ideas about what constitutes modern medicine. It's the system and its limitations that are to blame. Paul Farmer different-ideas medicine country But if you're asking my opinion, I would argue that a social justice approach should be central to medicine and utilized to be central to public health. This could be very simple: the well should take care of the sick. Paul Farmer medicine simple justice We have to design a health delivery system by actually talking to people and asking, 'What would make this service better for you?' As soon as you start asking, you get a flood of answers. Paul Farmer design talking people What I can argue is that no one should have to die of a disease that is treatable. Paul Farmer disease should-have arguing The only way to do the human rights thing is to do the right thing medically. Paul Farmer humans rights way That's when I feel most alive, when I'm helping people. Paul Farmer alive helping people You can't have public health without a public health system. We just don't want to be part of a mindless competition for resources. We want to build back capacity in the system. Paul Farmer resources competition want It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country. Paul Farmer rich-countries country people The idea that because you're born in Haiti you could die having a child. The idea that because you're born in you know Malawi your children may go to bed hungry. We want to take some of the chance out of that. Paul Farmer haiti children ideas There is nothing wrong with underlining personal agency, but there is something unfair about using personal responsibility as a basis for assigning blame while simultaneously denying those who are being blamed the opportunity to exert agency in their lives Paul Farmer agency responsibility opportunity Equity is the only acceptable goal Paul Farmer equity acceptable goal People call me a saint and I think, I have to work harder. Because a saint would be a great thing to be. Paul Farmer hard-work people thinking We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it is not worth it. So we fight the long defeat. Paul Farmer team fighting winning
