Evaluation of Health Problem Detection Procedure for Foreign Workers in Taiwan
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Date of Award
1997
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Format
Abstract
After Taiwan adopted an open policy to allow enterprises to hire foreign workers, all levels of government health units play an important role in safeguarding the nationals against the infectious diseases brought in by foreign workers. However, because of the insufficient manpower and funds allocated to the newly added assignment , the incomplete regulations and the uncertain enforcement standard, the health units have faced a great number of difficulties in implementing the related plans. And that also results in no distinct regulations or standards for the foreign workers, the employers and the foreign worker agencies to follow.
The supervision of foreign workers' health is on the ground of Employment Service Law, Rules on the Recruitment Permission and Supervision of Foreign Persons, Rules on Infectious Diseases Prevention, Rules on Anesthetics Supervision, etc. Taiwan started to introduce foreign workers in 1989. Till now, however, there are complete and specialized regulations regarding foreign worker health supervision. Besides, the related regulations haven't enforced thoroughly yet and that causes the unsatisfactory enforcement result.
According to laws, foreign workers must go to the designated hospitals to have a physical exam within seven days after they arrive in Taiwan. Every foreign worker must submit the qualified physical exam result to the health bureau of the local government within 15 days after arrival. The health bureau will review the result and issue a reference paper for him/her to apply for a work permit from the Council of Labor Affairs and the residence visa from the local police bureau in order to maintain legal status in Taiwan. For those foreign workers who don't have qualified physical exam results, the local health bureaus will inform their employers to repatriate them within 7 days. The local health bureaus will also advise the Council of Labor Affairs and the local police bureaus
After arriving in Taiwan, foreign workers must agree to a physical exam every six months in addition to the first exam done upon arrival. Every time a physical exam is done, the result has to be submitted to the local health bureau for review. It the result is unsatisfactory, the foreign worker will be repatriated except when he/she is diseased with parasites and the disease can be cured within the certain period of time stipulated by law.
During the period of Jan to Dec. 1995, there were 225,000 legal foreign workers in Taiwan Among them, 3,400 persons had unsatisfactory physical exam results. If the unqualified foreign workers are not repatriated within certain period of time or if they escape, it will endanger our epidemic prevention system. The consequences are unpredictable and unacceptable.
According to statistics the physical exams done when the foreign workers completed the first, second, and third six month stay after arriving in Taiwan has the higher unsatisfactory rate than the one done upon their arrival. The health bureaus strictly restricts the foreign workers from taking medicines before landing in Taiwan or usig any measures to influence the physical exam results. However, the most effective way to get more accurate physical exam results is to strictly select the foreign worker physical exam hospitals, intensify their functions and increase physical exam quality in order to decrease the occurrence of inaccurate results or records due to a flaw in the exam procedures or the negligence of the examiner. It is suggested that the Department of Health and the Council of Labor Affairs provide a physical exam at the airport. Requiring all the foreign workers to do a a physical exam right upon their landing in Taiwan will assure the physical exam quality and avoid the unhealthy foreign workers from escaping. Besides, foreign workers have a high percentage of parasite diseases. The health departments should intensify the promotion of health education to foreign workers, and educated them on the importance of personal hygiene and to improve their eating habits.