Migrant workers face restrictions accessing healthcare in Gulf: Study
Migrant workers in the Gulf region face restrictions when trying to access healthcare, said a recent report.
The report, titled "The Cost of Living: Access to Health for Migrant Workers in the Gulf," has been prepared by a coalition of organisations, including the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines.
Based on quantitative and qualitative research in the Gulf states and in multiple countries of origin, the report said that multiple barriers prevent low-income migrant workers from accessing non-emergency healthcare in the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The report includes the findings of an in-person survey of 1,101 low-paid migrant workers in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between May-July of this year.
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RMMRU organised a media briefing on Monday (5 December) at the national press club to present the findings of the research.
"The most obvious problems are when migrant workers' illnesses or injuries do not meet the threshold for free emergency care. In addition to affordability, lack of documentation and lack of insurance, many of the migrant workers reported that racial discrimination that discouraged or prevented them from accessing healthcare," said RMMRU Executive Director DR CR Abrar citing the report.
The repeort also draws on the insight of numerous medical and public health experts.
It states that cost is a significant barrier, with 30% of respondents saying that they could rarely or never afford healthcare, and only 18% of respondents saying they could always afford healthcare. The key barrier to care was a lack of proper documentation, with more than half of respondents – 51%– saying they had been discouraged or prevented from accessing healthcare due to not having physical proof of their identity.
The report found that the GCC states' healthcare services are generally not tailored to the specific needs of the migrant worker population.
It also added that there is obvious evidence of discrimination in access to healthcare for migrant workers, with lack of documentation and affordability the most significant obstacles.
