Syrian refugees in Hatay/Turkey and their influence on health care at the university hospital

Background: Refugees have been exposed to severe health problems due to the influences of negativities they experienced in their countries, migration process and low standards of living. Health care workers are not prepared and educated enough for such circumstances, even though they are the very witnesses of changing circumstances and an essential part of providing required services. Our aim is to investigate how Syrian civil war and refugees in Turkey influenced health care services. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015, involving health care workers in the university hospital in Hatay. The survey was applied to 102 doctors and 108 nurses/health technicians. Chi-square test and Mantel-Haenszel test were used. Results: The highest need concerning refugee patients was intensive care capacity for 65.6%, in patient care for 64.6% and 55.5% stated complications develop more in refugees. This was similar among workers at internal and surgical departments (P>0.05). 85.7% stated that workload, 67.1% stated that working hours and 71.6% stated that patient waiting time had increased. Increase in working hours was higher for doctors; increase in patient waiting time was higher in surgical departments and alloted time to patient s increased more for nurses/health technicians (P<0.05). Regarding what is insufficient; it was intensive care capacity for 76%, the number of beds for 68.3% and medicine/blood/bloodproducts for 34.8%. 37.6% experienced a dangerous situtation, 88.1% do not feel secure and 58.9% of participants' desire to work decreased. The rate of feeling in secure was higher among nurses/health technicians, decrease in the desire to work was higher among doctors (P<0.05). The most common diagnosis was gunshot wounds for 38.4% of internal department workers and 68.8% of surgical department workers (P<0.05). The most common communicable disease was found to be nosocomial infection (45.9%). Conclusion: The university hospital in Hatay had been negatively influenced by Syrian civil war in terms of refugee patients. Peace is a precondition for proper health care.