Migrants’ health and Bulgarian health care system performance: experts’ and society point of view

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Migrants often face serious inequities concerning their state of health and access to good quality health services. The aim of the study is to compare the experts' and society point of view on migrants' health and Bulgarian health care system performance in this field. Methods Within the TRAIN4M&H project, founded by EC, in March 2019th a work seminar was organized in Bulgaria. Data were collected through an unstructured interview. The focus group and facilitated discussion with 22 experts intended was performed. To elicit information about significant migrants' health problems the questionnaire among 388 people was applied. Data processing was performed by SPSS v.24. Results 22 frontline professionals and 388 people of the society were covered. 20% of the surveyed experts completely disagrees with the opinion that migrants are a threat to public health while nearly nine out of ten surveyed members of the public fully (38.0%) or partially agree (51%) with that statement (χ2=37,84;df=3;p<0,001). The majority (47.8%) of the respondents from the public express an opinion for greater needs for health care of migrants compared to the Bulgarian population while according to three quarters of the specialists there is no difference (χ2=24,07;df=2;р<0,001). About 40% of the representatives of the society claim that the health care system in Bulgaria is not prepared to provide adequate health care to migrants. Almost two thirds of the experts share the opinion that health care in the country can provide only some specific health care to migrants (χ2 = 15.11; df = 2; p < 0.001). The point of view of the groups compared coincided on the issues of restricting the access of migrants in the country and provision of health care, regardless of the legal status of migrants. Conclusions The society is not familiar with the health problems of the migrants, but accepts their health as worse than that of the Bulgarian population and threatening the public health in the country. Key messages The society is not familiar with the health problems of the migrants, but accepts their health as worse than that of the Bulgarian population and threatening the public health in the country. According to the experts working at local level with migrants Bulgarian health system is not well prepared and provides adequate health care for migrants only in some specific cases.