Migrant Workers Have Most To Lose When Tested H I V Positive: Thailand

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SPECIAL REPORT

Migrant workers have most to lose when tested positive

The Nation

Myanmar migrant worker Ye Than, right, contracted HIV from her husband, who died seven years ago.

BANGKOK: -- There is nothing more heartbreaking than learning that one has contracted the HIV virus and that seeking medication would mean losing one's only means of survival. This tragic plight is faced by many migrant workers, some of whom reveal their ordeal to The Nation's Thanapat Kitjakosol.

Even though Thai law requires that all employers provide their workers with social-welfare benefits, only a third of the estimated one million migrant workers in the country are entitled to this privilege because many company owners prefer not to pay the required fees.

And what makes matters even worse is that some hospitals leak the names of workers found to be HIV-positive, and more often than not, these workers are sacked. Of the 261,040 registered migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, only 22,000 were found to have social security, which grants them access to anti-retroviral drugs, while 138,636 only hold health insurance cards that do not cover HIV treatment.

Ye Than, a 42-year-old Myanmar worker, contracted the virus a decade ago from her husband, who died seven years ago. The couple had been sneaking in and out of Thailand looking for jobs since Than was 17, when agents only charged Bt900 for a job, which now costs Bt15,000.

Luckily, her two sons work in Samut Sakhon's Mahachai district and they are helping her cover the Bt1,500 per month needed to cover her medication.

"Without the medication, I would have been dead a long time ago due to complications such as diarrhoea, tuberculosis and bad stomach pain," she said.

Being jobless, Than has neither health insurance nor social security, but luckily the Rak Thai Foundation got to know about her case and sent her to Samut Sakhon Hospital for treatment.

Panita Thaweelua, from the Anti-retroviral Programme for Alien Workers, said the foundation has enough in donations to provide medical support to 2,000 workers nationwide. However, it can only cover 100 workers in Samut Sakhon, where more than 200 alien workers have tested HIV-positive.

"The problem is that factory owners employing 50 to 100 workers choose not to pay the 5-per-cent fee for social welfare, while those employing 3,000 to 5,000 workers allow less than a third of their workers to join social security in order to mislead officials," she said.

Of the 300,000 legal and illegal foreign workers in Samut Sakhon, at least 80 per cent do not have any health insurance or access to social welfare. In most cases, they are forced to borrow huge sums of money to buy drugs or end up having to beg for treatment at hospitals. Many promise to pay their bills in instalments, but very few are able to keep this promise, which leaves hospitals mired in unpaid bills worth millions of baht.

Sirikorn Lertchayothit, coordinator of the Rak Thai Foundation in Samut Sakhon, said that though the law requires that all alien workers be registered with the social security scheme, many are not because the law is not effectively enforced.

"Those who have other illnesses may be treated in hospitals, but it is almost impossible for those with HIV to get any treatment. They have to buy what is available over the counter and eventually die from complications," she said.

Also, many state agencies prefer not to provide anti-retroviral drugs to migrant workers because they believe it would be a waste, especially since many return home, relocate or change their phone number for fear that others, especially their boss, would find out about their infection.

"Some employers are tipped off by hospitals about their workers being HIV-positive, and often the employers terminate their employment," she said.

As per 2011 statistics revealed by the foundation, Samut Sakhon had 223 migrant workers and 3,853 Thai workers found to be HIV-positive, and 910 died from complications.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, an NGO official, said foreign workers are made to pay Bt1,900 per year in fees for social security, but only one third of them are entitled to the system. About 70 per cent of them have the health insurance card, which costs them an annual fee of Bt600.

"Especially foreigners working in the fishing industry don't have access to HIV treatment. Without effective law enforcement, they will never be able to exercise their right to healthcare under the social security system," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-12-01

[asiawatcher]

Since when did I have a choice not to pay social security for my staff? That's news to me...

[zakk9]

Since when did I have a choice not to pay social security for my staff? That's news to me...

Apparently, you are not well enough connected and/or not Thai enough

[otherstuff1957]

You just don't understand Thainess.

[techboy]

You just don't understand Thainess.

Weak.

[nakhonandy]

I can't say I am suprised at all by this article.

Companies are always looking for ways to avoid paying, albeit tax or social security.

Migrant workers are easy as a lot are illegal and therefore wouldn't want to register anyhow.

Education about HIV might make more sense, stopping the spread as opposed to treating the condition is far more practical.

[Arkady]

Social tax evasion seems quite common with foreign employees and not just Burmese, .e.g the British teacher whose school deducted social tax from his salary but just stole it and let him die of heart failure because he couldn't get any medical treatment. Of course nothing has happened to scumbag that stole his contributions.

[attento]

I can't say I am suprised at all by this article.

Companies are always looking for ways to avoid paying, albeit tax or social security.

Migrant workers are easy as a lot are illegal and therefore wouldn't want to register anyhow.

Education about HIV might make more sense, stopping the spread as opposed to treating the condition is far more practical.

Education is vital for the future, but this report is about infected migrant workers.

If they are employed in Thailand, they should be treated in Thailand. Their employers have the benefits of their labours, so should shoulder the responsibilities for paying appropriate health care taxes. If these negligent employers dont do this, they are competing unfairly with responsible employers. Why not more outcry from responsible employers ?

[Travelman868]

The system does not work very well even for Thai's. The 30 baht card only works in the area where they have registered. If you live in Chang Mai and are ill in Bangkok you are not covered properly.

On the HIV issue again the treatment does not kick in until the CD4 is 200 or below. Less than 200 means the person has full blown Aids.

[h90]

Since when did I have a choice not to pay social security for my staff? That's news to me...

Come on.....

Our company pays it, but we are seen almost as weirdos because we pay it, most small companies simply don't pay anything.....

Common way: labor work and get the money cash on hand....government, tax, social security??? What is that??

[vijer]

Yes, Thainess, and Buddhism go hand in hand. Buddha never said it was bad to <deleted>> over your fellow human being, Buddha only said you should make merit and ask for riches to come your way and to protect you from harm. These communist Myanmarese should change their religion.

Heard on the news that supposedly all of the garment factories in the north were going to close because of the 300 baht daily minimum wage. Apparently the rich garment factory owners would rather drive across the border and open a new factory and pay import duties (or more likely smuggle their products into Thailand) than pay their employees a decent wage.

[asiawatcher]

The system does not work very well even for Thai's. The 30 baht card only works in the area where they have registered. If you live in Chang Mai and are ill in Bangkok you are not covered properly.

On the HIV issue again the treatment does not kick in until the CD4 is 200 or below. Less than 200 means the person has full blown Aids.

Yes we also pay, every month for the past 12 years. Fortunately none of my people have Aids.