Comparison with other studies

241 Health Seeking Behaviour towards Communicable Diseases among Foreign Workers in Industrial Agriculture Sectors of Selected Districts in Perak, Malaysia

5.5 Unanswered questions future research

The health seeking behaviour of foreign workers in other employment sectors needs to be studied. There is a need to obtain a larger sample for illegal foreign workers to understand their health seeking behaviour and a mechanism for funding.

6.0 CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 Conclusion

This study shows that foreign workers do not seem to have problems in seeking health care. Access to care is a problem in the agriculture sector in terms of geographical location. Both legal and illegal workers seek health care for serious and mild illness. Legal and illegal foreign workers appear to understand serious illness and take appropriate action accordingly.

6.2 Recommendations

Based on the study findings, we wish to make the following recommendations: 1. There is a need to improve access to health care for workers in the agriculture sector. 2. Employers of the agriculture industries must be responsible to provide onsite health care facilities, panel doctors or transport to the nearest government or private hospital or clinic. 3. Relevant government authorities must be responsible to make sure employers are providing healthcare to their foreign workers, especially those in the agriculture sector. 4. Initiation of a multi-agency meeting with the involvement of the Perak government to improve health care service delivery to foreign workers especially those in the agricultural sector. REFERENCES 1. Labour Force Statistics, Malaysia, 2006. 2. World Malaria Report 2005, WHO. 3. World Tuberculosis Report 2008, WHO. 4. Selvarani P, Audrey V. Maid for trouble. The New Straight Tines. 2008 May 25. 5. WHO Weekly Epidemiological record4 AUGUST 2006, 81st YEAR 4 AOÛT 2006, 81e ANNÉE No. 31, 2006, 81, 297-308. Available from: http:www.who.intwer 6. Maimunah AH, Sondi S, Sing LM, Safurah J, Haniza MA, John A, et al. National Health and Morbidity Survey 1996. Public Health Institute, 1999.