Iwant to be seen, heard and treated, explains Dahaba (Picture: Dahaba Ali Hussen)

‘Well, you’re not going to bleed to death, are you?’ the doctor in A&E said to me.

I was dumbfounded.

Earlier that day, doubled over in unimaginable pain, I had decided to finally attend A&E. This was a really difficult decision to make, because I was afraid of not being listened to.

I gripped the plastic seat as I tried to even out my voice, before I responded: ‘Are you even going to examine me?’, gesturing towards my bloated stomach.

‘You’ll have to wait to be referred for a scan by your GP,’ the doctor responded.

I was sent home without being fully examined. I didn’t have any blood tests done, or even get my blood pressure read.

It seemed like as soon as the doctor determined it was a women’s

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