Inclusive health insurance sought for migrant workers

The current insurance policy for migrant workers does not include health coverage, experts and rights activists said on Tuesday, calling for an inclusive policy that ensures healthcare for all migrants whether they are at home or abroad. 

At a discussion in the capital, they demanded easy access to quality healthcare for the migrant workers in the destination country as well as in Bangladesh upon their return.

Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme, working for migrants' rights, organised the national level consultation at Probashi Kalyan Bhaban.

Remove the discriminatory clause relating to HIV/AIDS-related deaths and sickness from the insurance policy of migrant workers and ensure universal health rights of HIV-infected migrant workers, they urged.

"Migrant workers are recruited as 100% healthy people through mandatory 'health screening' as per the rules of the destination countries. The health insurance is a prerequisite for the approval of work permit in the destination countries, and the employers are responsible for doing this. However, in practice, the employers often secure the minimum health insurance premium just to meet the official work permit requirement, providing limited treatment coverage. In this context, migrant workers are deprived of their health rights that put them at higher health risks," said Shakirul Islam, chairperson of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme.

He also said that several studies have shown that migrant workers of Bangladesh are exposed to various health risks at their workplace due to hazardous working conditions. The migrant workers including women are often exposed to various forms of physical, mental and sexual abuse and exploitation in the countries of destination.

Official data on the number of returning migrant workers with physical and mental health issues is lacking, and there is a lack of comprehensive assessment regarding the socio-economic consequences when these workers return with ailments.

Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme has provided health assistance to 445 returnees including women from 2020 to 2023. Among them, 39% returned with various orthopedic diseases and complications resulting from hazardous working conditions and workplace injuries while 29% returned with various types of chronic diseases including cancer as well as heart, liver, lung, kidney etc. diseases. Furthermore, 9% were exposed to neurological complications, and the remaining 15% faced other health problems like tumor, ulcer, piles etc. Among the women migrant workers, 8% returned with reproductive health complications.

The testimonies of male and female returnee migrant workers, who participated in an in-depth discussion, revealed a widespread denial of health rights by employers.

Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme at the event put forth six demands to be incorporated in the health policy.

Among the demands are: developing user-friendly mobile apps and/or web platforms for easy access of migrant workers to policy information, claims filing, and direct communication with insurance providers.

Rahnuma Salam Khan, national programme manager, ILO Bangladesh Office; Dr Saima Khan, country director, UNAIDS Bangladesh; Abul Khair Mohammad Hafizullah Khan, managing director, Jibon Bima Corporation; Dr Shah Mohammad Jashim Uddin, director, National AIDS and STD Control, DGHS; Md Hamidur Rahman, director general and additional secretary, Wage Earners' Welfare Board were also present at the programme.