Previous Page  184 / 225 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 184 / 225 Next Page
Page Background

Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:

Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries

174

Individual health care providers may also sometimes be hesitant to provide services to asylum

seekers. Asylum applicants are entitled to visit either private or public providers; providers

are then reimbursed for services by the county. But not all providers are aware of the

provisions for reimbursement, and may be inclined to turn asylum seekers away if they are

unfamiliar with the reimbursement system.

253

There is also some disagreement between

providers, the county, and the National Health Board regarding what qualifies as “care that

cannot wait.” There is no standard definition regarding what conditions qualify, and it is up to

the doctor to determine whether care is needed after consulting with the patient; in practice

this means that care can vary between providers for the same condition.

254

Impact of flows on the health care system

As in other service areas health care provision has been stretched by the surge in new arrivals

over the last year, although county health officials report the effects have so far been

manageable.

255

While the high number of new arrivals has created capacity issues, more

challenging for authorities has been the diverse and complex set of needs that asylum seekers

bring with them.

256

Some of the conditions or illnesses health care providers see among

asylum seeking populations are unusual or occur in more advanced stages than is common in

Sweden; reports of tuberculosis and antibiotic-resistant infections have increased, for

example.

257

Demand has been particularly acute for certain health services, such as dental and

psychological care as well as obstetrics.

258

Some counties have reported longer wait times for

routine dental and gynecological treatment, although major impacts on wait times across

health services have not been seen.

259

3.5.4.

Conclusions and Assessment of Impacts of Forced Migration

Sweden has, over the course of several decades, developed a highly complex, finely tuned, and

liberal protection policy regime. The protections provided under Swedish asylum law are

some of the most progressive in the world and extend well beyond Sweden's commitments as

a signatory of the 1951 Convention. Some of these, such as protection from generalized

violence under subsidiary protection status, are informed by EU standards and law, while

others, including protection on the basis of environmental degradation, are unique to Sweden.

The rights and benefits that accompany refugee or other protected status in Sweden are

robust and extensive, even by European Union standards—which are already relatively

generous in international comparison. Permanent residency—and a path to citizenship—has

long been a core component of refugee protection in Sweden, although this commitment has

253

Interview with Christina Stahl, Director for Patient Questions, Department for Health, Region Skane, April 14, 2016

254

Interview with Christina Stahl, Director for Patient Questions, Department for Health, Region Skane, April 14, 2016 ard;

Socialstyrelsen,

Vård för papperslösa – vård som inte kan anstå, dokumentation och identifiering vid vård till personer som

vistas i landet utan tillstånd

(Stockholm: Socialstyrelsen, 2014)

, http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/publikationer2014/2014-2-28

255

Socialstyrelsen,

Hälso- och sjukvård och tandvård till asylsökande och nyanlända: Delrapport 2016,

Report No. 2016-5-1,

(Stockholm: Socialstyrelsen, 2016),

http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/Lists/Artikelkatalog/Attachments/20148/2016-5-1.pdf

256

Interview with Christina Stahl, Director for Patient Questions, Department for Health, Region Skane, April 14, 2016

257

An official from the Malmö county health board, for example, stated that providers there are facing conditions they

haven’t seen since the 1970s. High quality preventative care in Sweden generally catches many of these conditions before

they become severe. Interview with Christina Stahl, Director for Patient Questions, Department for Health, Region Skane,

April 14, 2016

258

Because many pregnant women arriving as asylum seekers have not had normal care during their pregnancies, babies

born to women who are asylum seekers are more likely to be premature or to have a low birth weight, according to the

National Health Board. Socialstyrelsen, Hälso- och sjukvård och tandvård till asylsökande och nyanlända: Delr

apport 2016

259

Socialstyrelsen,

Hälso- och sjukvård och tandvård till asylsökande och nyanlända: Delrapport 2016