PETALING JAYA: Fear of detention and high medical fees are among the reasons undocumented migrants have opted out of giving birth at public hospitals, which subsequently contributes to low vaccination rates in this community, former Sabah health minister Frankie Poon says.
Poon, who held the health portfolio from 2019 to 2020, said undocumented migrants avoided public hospitals because they were afraid their status would lead to detention.
He also said undocumented migrants would avoid giving birth at state hospitals because they would be charged at least RM2,593 for the process, compared to the price for citizens, which starts at RM10.
“If (parents) didn’t give birth at a government hospital, (they usually) ended up not receiving proper health advice (about vaccinations for their children).
“They also don’t go to government clinics for prenatal checks because they are charged as foreigners, so they probably resort to the health advice passed down from older generations within their community,” Poon told FMT.
On Jan 19, the New Straits Times reported that the Sabah health director had urged caregivers to ensure that children are fully inoculated following a measles outbreak in Penampang.
Dr Asits Sanna said there had been 52 measle cases in the district since December last year, 65% of which were undocumented migrants.
Although measles is deadly and contagious, it is preventable through vaccination. Malaysia’s health ministry administers the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for infants when they are nine and 12 months old.
Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said undocumented migrants were reluctant to visit public hospitals or clinics for fear that it could lead to detention and even deportation.
“Even if there is an assurance of non-arrest or amnesty in the interest of public health, the fear will still be there.
“These communities have a lower awareness of the benefits and importance of vaccination,” Azrul said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the government was criticised for reassuring undocumented workers in enhanced movement control order areas that they would not be deported, only to do so in a series of raids.
Then senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob defended the action, saying the government had treated them humanely during detention and that the pandemic “doesn’t change their status as undocumented migrants”.
Action to be taken
Poon urged the government to visit these communities to educate them on the importance of vaccination, adding that handing out pamphlets was ineffective as the education level of the undocumented migrants might not be on a par with that of citizens.
“They need their community to educate themselves, so the government has to approach and work with the community leaders and lead them to educate their people,” Poon said.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz also urged the government to work with community leaders to visit communities of undocumented migrants.
“There must be some official reassurance that the vaccination programmes are not operations to catch and deport them.” - FMT
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