In a medical emergency, time is precious and clear communication is critical.
Staff at Erie Shores Healthcare in Leamington have developed a new program aimed at addressing barriers migrant workers experience in the health care system, including language and culture.
The hospital is introducing a new Health Aid Card, which will include information including allergies, medications, health history, contact numbers in Canada, and how to reach family abroad.
Clinical Director of Critical Care Michele Reiser said the card came about after a situation at the hospital six months ago.
"We did have a critical worker come in," she said. "We had no knowledge of his medical history. Even just trying to contact the family in Mexico, it took us over five hours."
Reiser can not say if the patient survived because of doctor-patient confidentiality, but she did tell BlackburnNews.com the outcome was "very poor."
Photo of migrant workers speaking with Michele Reiser at a recent health fair in Leamington Sunday, October 27, 2019. (Photo by Arms Bumanlag)
As many as 10,000 migrant workers come to Essex County every year to work in the greenhouse industry, often leaving family behind in their home countries. However, the need is not just local. Roughly 38,000 temporary foreign workers work in Canada's agriculture industry, the majority in Ontario.
The health of these workers is integral to the success of agriculture, and ensuring they feel safe and have timely medical care is crucial.
Not only is the information helpful for workers in the emergency department, but it can also be used whenever a migrant worker goes to a clinic or the dentist.
Reiser hopes the initiative will take off in other parts of Ontario and Canada where migrant workers live and work.
"At the moment, we're just rolling this out in a small way," she explained. "If this goes as it should go, this would be rolled out even in other areas, up in the Niagara Region."
"This initiative means that the farmworkers will have access to the first aids in an easier and faster way. Now the workers can feel confident that their families will be informed if they have a medical emergency," said Lariza Mendoza, a program coordinator with the Migrant Worker Community Program.
Partners like the Migrant Worker Community Program, the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Orangeline Farms, and Mucci Farms helped develop the program.
The cards were distributed this past weekend at the Migrant Worker Health Fair in Leamington.
