You have been working for two months as a volunteer in a hospital in or near your hometown. Your duties include bringing food to patients, talking with them, and otherwise helping them to feel comfortable. However, you have noticed that many of the physicians and nurses you have seen coming into patients’ rooms do not wash their hands, and you doubt that they washed their hands immediately before entering the rooms. What, if anything, do you do? Explain your answer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
To help deal with the health and health-care problems discussed in this chapter, you may wish to do any of the following:
Volunteer at a local hospital or health clinic.
Start a group on your campus to advocate for national health insurance, or join an existing group in the nearby community.
Volunteer for a local agency that tries to address the health-care needs of low-income children and their families.
