Abstract:
Introduction:
Information on refugees’ utilisation of healthcare services and the associated factors will assist the relevant authorities to identify their specific health needs and take appropriate actions to facilitate better health care for them.
Objective:
To assess the utilisation of healthcare services and the associated factors among the Syrian and Yemeni refugees living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Method:
A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among the Syrian and Yemeni refugees living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A two-stage cluster sampling method was conducted of which six clusters were identified. Inside each cluster systematic random sampling was used to select 417 households of which 383 households agreed to participate giving a response rate of 91.8%. Data was collected by face to face interview using healthcare access and utilisation survey that was provided by the United Nations High Commissionaire for Refugees.
Multivariate analysis showed that utilisation of healthcare services was significantly associated with gender, source of income, monthly income, knowledge of 50% subsidisation of foreigner’s rate to government health facilities, reported illness episode, pregnancy and affordability barrier.
Conclusion:
Despite relatively good level of healthcare utilisation, cost and lack of information on the availability of subsidised health care services was an important barrier to healthcare services use among the Syrian and Yemeni refugees living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
