Healthcare experiences of primary care workers with Bengalese immigrants in Paraná State, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the experiences of primary care workers with Bengalese immigrants in Paraná State, Brazil. This was a qualitative study in a primary care unit with approximately 700 Bengalese immigrants living in its coverage area. The study was conducted in a medium-sized city in northern Paraná State. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with the health workers. The data were analyzed adopting proper compliance with all ethical aspects. The results showed that the immigrants’ physical appearance and language affected the way the health workers treated them. It was thus possible to identify a series of implications in the actions and services offered to this immigrant population: adherence to a protocol, even though it did not take the immigrants’ specific needs into account; presumption of the immigrant population’s reasons and needs for seeking the health services; and the omission of some specific health interventions. The Bengalese immigrant population thus accesses the primary healthcare services much more through their adaptive skills than by the health workers’ capacity to offer care according to the patients’ needs. It is thus necessary to take a special look at the health workers in this situation and design forms of support that can be offered to healthcare teams that deal with immigrant populations on a daily basis.