Comparison of the usage habits of healthcare systems of the imigrants and local residents

Abstract

Turkey is one of the most popular immigration countries because of the wars that are ongoing in its southern border and its location on access routes to Europe. Migrations continue because of wars and political turmoil. The increasing number of migrants requires revising the public healthcare planning. In our study, we compared the behaviors of immigrants and local people. We examined to which extent immigrants used the clinics of our hospital. We interpreted the adequacy of the current healthcare system for migrants. We analyzed the hospital admissions of migrants and local residents who applied to our hospital between January 2014 and December 2018 in retrospective fashion. We determined the rates of referral to clinics. We determined that the highest referral rates of the migrants were made to emergency services, gynecology and obstetrics. We observed that the birth rates increased in migrants in the following period. However, despite the traumas, immigrants did not use psychiatric units. The existing healthcare and social policies must be revised by considering especially the needs of immigrants and their use of healthcare systems. We believe that primary healthcare services must be delivered equally to all individuals to reduce the intensity of emergency services, gynecology and obstetrics departments, and pediatric services. We also believe that the trauma that iscaused by immigration must not be underestimated.