Establish a neighborhood clinic to increase access to basic health services for Myanmar migrant factory workers in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand

Abstract

Migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand have to face various kinds of problems affecting their quality of life. This thesis focuses to the problems and concerns of Myanmar migrant factory workers at the outskirts of Mae Sod district in Tak province of Thailand. A rapid assessment on needs and possible solutions was conducted among Myanmar migrant factory workers to look for alternatives to alleviate their problems. The workers agreed that for most of their problems, easy solutions are not available. Access to basic health services was one of their concerns due to constraints such as language barrier, distance, cost and inappropriate health providers, despite many of them have a health insurance. Most workers agreed that it was necessary for them in having basic health care services near their factories and this could possibly be assisted by their social support groups and local health NGOs. Provision of free basic health care services by a Burmese provider in the location close to most target factories is the project proposed to reduce these difficulties. The clinic support group will collaborate with other Burmese working groups on migrant health as well as migrant factory worker networks for sharing resources, management and monitoring for the project. The project will be evaluated on its effectiveness to improve access to basic health services among target migrant factory workers in terms of cultural acceptability, geographical accessibility, financial affordability, and functional appropriateness.