Migration Health

With over 35 professional health workers and cooperation with various health service providers across Indonesia, IOM provides services in three broad categories:

• Migration Health Assessments and Travel Health Assistance

Health assessment and Travel health assistance is among the most well-established migration management services offered by IOM MHD globally for refugees and Immigrants. It consists of an evaluation, and possible treatment, of the physical and mental status of migrants, made prior to departure in order to identify migrants with any condition potential threat to the public health, public safety and security and excessive demand on the public social services, as well as benefit the wellbeing of the migrant themselves.

In the context of resettlement, IOM Indonesia with resources of panel physicians, conducts the health assessment of refugees accepted for resettlement prior to their travel, including complete medical assessment (physical examination, chest x-ray, phlebotomy, etc.), pre-departure/embarkation check-ups and ensures fitness to travel. IOM also provides immunization and medical treatment to the refugees, so that they can travel safely and do not pose a public health risk to other travellers or receiving communities.

• Health Promotion and Assistance for Migrants

In partnership with the Government of Indonesia, civil society, and the donor community, IOM provides assistance to refugees and asylum seekers residing in Indonesia.  The MHD delivers and promotes comprehensive, preventative and curative health programs which contribute to the physical, mental and social well-being of migrants, enabling them and host communities to achieve healthy community.

A. Curative Health: Primary healthcare is arranged for all migrants under IOM care, either through third party providers or Puskesmas (community health centers) and private clinics. Where specialist consultations or referrals to areas such as clinics, panel hospitals and laboratories are recommended, they are approved and arranged by MHD staff. Elective treatments or interventions are also arranged where migrants have chronic medical conditions or urgent/life threatening diagnoses. Additional assistance is provided to migrants including pregnant women, and those with disabilities or ongoing medical concerns.

B. Preventive Health: Preventative health services such as health promotion, immunization, presumptive treatment of common parasites, early childhood and nutritional assessments, reproductive health/contraception, food and water quality assessment and regular vector control are provided for migrants under IOM care, and are a cost-effective way to reduce the demand for secondary and tertiary medical services. Immunization is carried out in accordance with Indonesia’s national immunization plan. Recognizing the value of public health programs, responsive health promotion includes topics such as family planning, hygiene and sanitation, child/maternal health, and infectious diseases.

• Migration Health Assistance for Crisis-Affected Populations

IOM Indonesia has been rendering assistance to crisis-affected populations since it was invited to assist relief efforts on Galang Island in Riau in 1979. When required, the MHD assists crisis-affected populations, host communities, and governments to strengthen and re-establish their primary health care systems. Notably, MHD provided healthcare assistance to survivors following the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, in which upwards of 170,000 people lost their lives, and many more were rendered injured or homeless. The MHD arranges health care and psychosocial support for displaced persons, medical referrals, and evacuations for individuals who cannot be cared for locally, and assists in rebuilding community-based services and strengthening crisis-affected healthcare systems, e.g. in Aceh, establishing clinics staffed by IOM-trained medical attendants. Other crises have included natural disaster events in Nias (2005), Yogyakarta (2006), and West Java (2009). At present, IOM Indonesia is not providing health assistance to any crisis-affected populations. 

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

IOM provides a multi-layered Mental Health and Psychosocial Support assistance to ensure the mental well-being of migrants under its care.  IOM recognizes that migrants are affected in different ways and thus, require different kinds of support, in addition to across-the-board basic humanitarian assistance. By using the framework of the MHPSS intervention pyramid , IOM facilitates the MHPSS activities to meet the different needs of different migrant groups and sub-groups. The activities comprises from basic services such as educational, recreational and vocational skills activities, strengthening community and family supports, focused – non clinical services such as individual and group counselling, and clinical services (referral to psychologist and psychiatrist).