Savaş, Göç ve Sağlık: Mülteci Çocuklar İçin Sosyal Hizmetin Önemi

Abstract

Objective: The conflicts in the Middle East during the last decade displaced millions of people and led to a serious population movement. Many Syrians have had to leave their country and became a refugee in Turkey. Over the last decade, migration has become one of the most important social, political and public health issues in Turkey. In this study, we aimed to review pediatric refugee cases who were consulted to the Social Service at a Tertiary Hospital. Methods: A retrospective study was performed with refugees admitted to our hospital between January 2012 and December 2018. The socio-demographic data (age, sex, birthplace), medical diagnosis, the reason for the social work consultation and the classification of the social problems were recorded. Results: The number of refugee children that were detected from the medical records was 88; the median age was 10 months (IQR 60.5), and nearly half of them were female. The most frequent diagnosis of the cases obtained from the medical charts was acute respiratory system disorders. The main reason for a social work consultation was poverty. Conclusion: We concluded that professionals working with immigrant children and families should be able to access social and psychological support services. Pediatricians and pediatric societies should work to improve the sensitivity of their respective populations towards migrants and refugees.