Research Article
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Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 58 - 67, 15.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.58854/jicm.1788467

Abstract

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the gynaecological and obstetric aspects of Syrian refugees in a border region over an 8-year period, with a specific focus on healthcare utilization patterns in gynecology and obstetrics. The objective was to ascertain the impact of Syrian refugees on healthcare services in Sanliurfa province, comparing their experiences with Turkish patients, particularly in the field of gynecology and obstetrics practice. Materials and Methods: The study included female patients over 18 seeking medical care at gynaecology and obstetrics outpatient clinics and emergency departments in the specified border region between 2011 and 2019. Electronic medical records were comprehensively reviewed. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0, employing descriptive statistics and comparative analyses to assess differences within the study population. Results: The study focused on 1,557,878 patients, with 95.2% being Turkish and 4.8% Syrian refugees. Significant differences were observed in demographic characteristics, hospitalization rates, and reasons for hospital applications, particularly in pregnancy-related conditions, highlighting variations in healthcare utilization patterns between Turkish and Syrian refugee patients. Conclusion: The findings underscore the multifaceted challenges posed by refugee patients on health systems, necessitating a comprehensive and compassionate approach. Innovative strategies are essential to address the diverse needs arising from language barriers, cultural differences, and mental health concerns. This study provides valuable insights for governments, policymakers, and healthcare providers to improve service delivery, resource allocation, and equitable healthcare for both host and refugee populations.

Ethical Statement

The study received ethical approval from the Harran University Ethics Commitee.

Supporting Institution

No financal support

References

  • Merill S, Hodge G. The war machine and global health: a critical medical anthropological examination of the human costs of armed conflict and the international violence industry. Choice Reviews Online 2010; 48:48–156348–1563. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.48-1563.
  • Yurtseven A, Özcan G, Saz EU. Comparison of between Syrian Patients and Turkish Patients Who Admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department: Experience of Ege University. Turk J Pediatr Emerg Inten Care Med 2015; 2:133–6. https://doi.org/10.5505/cayb.2015.02986.
  • European Union. EUR-Lex. Europaeu 2019. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html. Accessed January 10, 2024.
  • Fuhlhage M. Refugee, Evacuee, or Something Else? ETC: A Review of General Semantics 2006; 63:113.
  • Un Refugee Agency. Handbook and guidelines on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status: under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees. Geneva: Unhcr; 2011.
  • The UN Refugee Agency. UNHCR Turkey Stats - UNHCR Country. UNHCR 2019. Available at https://www.unhcr.org/tr/en/unhcr-turkey-stats. Accessed January 19, 2024.
  • T.C. Içişleri Bakanligi. Gecici Koruma. gocgovtr 2019. Available at https://www.goc.gov.tr/gecici-koruma5638. Accessed June 2, 2020.
  • Orhan O, Senyücel Gündoğar S. Effects of the Syrian Refugees on Turkey. 2015.
  • Adanu RMK, Johnson TRB. Migration and women’s health. Obstet Gynecol Int J 2009; 106:179–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.036.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Turkey - Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan 2020-2021. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.
  • Babatunde A. Welcoming strangers! The responses of African Pentecostal Churches in London to Europe’s Migration and Refugee Crisis. Mission Hisp 2017; 44:263–83. https://doi.org/10.7832/44-2-173.
  • UNHCR. Worldwide displacement tops 70 million, UN Refugee Chief urges greater solidarity in response. UNHCR Turkey 2019. Available at https://www.unhcr.org/tr/en/22072-worldwide-displacement-tops-70-million-un-refugee-chief-urges-greater-solidarity-in-response.html. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  • Ministry Interior of Turkey. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior Presidency of Migration Management. Engocgovtr 2019. Available at https://en.goc.gov.tr/. Accessed June 5, 2020.
  • Sanliurfa Governorship. Duzensiz Goc ile Mucadele Bölge Toplantısı Sanlıurfa’da Yapıldı. Wwwsanliurfagovtr 2019. Available at http://www.sanliurfa.gov.tr/duzensiz-goc-ile-mucadele-bolge-toplantisi-sanliurfada-yapildi. Accessed December 29, 2019.
  • Almohammad D, Durrah O, Ahmed F. Deciphering the motives, barriers and integration of Syrian refugee entrepreneurs into Turkish society: a SEM approach. Digit Policy, Regul Gov 2021;23:59–76. https://doi.org/10.1108/dprg-05-2020-0066.
  • Yıldırım S, Tekdemir Yurtdas G. Social Construction of Syrian Refugees in Daily Speech in Turkey: Interpretative Repertoires and Social Media. Middle East J Refug Stud 2015; 1:77–122. https://doi.org/10.12738/mejrs.2016.1.1.0004.
  • Gokalp Aras NE, Kabadayi S, Ozeren E, Aydin E. Right to health and access to health-care services for refugees in Turkey. J Serv Mark 2021; 35:962–76. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-06-2020-0256.
  • Zighan S. Challenges faced by necessity entrepreneurship, the case of Syrian refugees in Jordan. J Enterprising Communities 2020; 15:531–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/jec-09-2020-0168.
  • AFAD. Afadgovtr n.d. Available at https://en.afad.gov.tr/. Accessed November 17, 2017.
  • Babacan T, Yılmaz TE, Babacan MT, Kasım İ, Yılmaz T, Şencan İ, et al. Correction to: Evaluation of immigrant health services in Turkey: a single-center study. J Public Health 2021; 31:163–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01668-x.
  • Tahirbegolli B, Çavdar S, Çetinkaya Sümer E, Akdeniz S, Vehid S. Outpatient admissions and hospital costs of Syrian refugees in a Turkish university hospital. Saudi Med J 2016; 37:809–12. https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2016.7.13839.
  • Çöl M, Bilgili Aykut N, Usturalı Mut AN, Koçak C, Uzun SU, Akın A, et al. Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Turkey: a scoping review within the framework of the MISP objectives. Reprod Health 2020;17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-00948-1.
  • TUIK. TUIK Kurumsal. Datatuikgovtr 2023. Available at https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Dogum-Istatistikleri-2022-49673. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  • TUIK. TUIK Kurumsal. Datatuikgovtr 2023. Available at https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=National-Education-Statistics-2022-49756. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  • Parker S. Hidden crisis: violence against Syrian female refugees. Lancet 2015; 385:2341–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)61091-1.
  • Atayoğlu A, Fırat Y, Kaya N, Başmısırlı E, Capar A, Aykemat Y, et al. Evaluation of Nutritional Status with Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) of Syrian Refugees Living Outside the Refugee Camps. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:849–9. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010849.
  • Pehlivanturk-Kizilkan M, Ozmert EN, Derman O, Okur İ, Kaynak MO, Adiguzel A, et al. Nutritional Status of Syrian Refugees in Early Adolescence Living in Turkey. J Immigr Minor Health 2020; 22:1149–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-00991-x.
  • Karabel M, Inci M, Demirbas M. Changing Rates of Cesarean Section in Turkey and in the World and Probable Causes. Sakarya Med J 2022;158-163. [In Turkish, English abstract]
  • Basara BB, Aygun A, Caglar IS, Kulali B. Sağlık Istatistikleri Yıllıgı 2019 Haber Bulteni. 2020.
  • Sayili U, Ozgur C, Bulut Gazanfer O, Solmaz A. Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes Between Turkish Citizens and Syrian Refugees with High-Risk Pregnancies. J Immigr Minor Health 2021; 24:1177–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01288-3.
  • Erenoğlu R, Yaman Sözbir Ş. The Effect of Health Education Given to Syrian Refugee Women in Their Own Language on Awareness of Breast and Cervical Cancer, in Turkey: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Cancer Educ 2019; 35:241–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01604-4.
  • Korkmaz AC. The Problems Caused to the Health and Nursing Services By The Asylum Seeker. J Health Nurs Manag 2014; 1:37–42. https://doi.org/10.5222/shyd.2014.037. [In Turkish, English abstract]

Suriye Mültecilerinin Jinekoloji ve Obstetrik Açısından Değerlendirilmesi: Sınır Bölgesinde 8 Yıllık Deneyim

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 58 - 67, 15.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.58854/jicm.1788467

Abstract

Amaç: Bu retrospektif çalışmanın amacı, sınır bölgesinde yaşayan Suriye mültecilerinin jinekolojik ve obstetrik yönlerini 8 yıllık bir süreçte değerlendirmek ve özellikle jinekoloji ve obstetri alanındaki sağlık hizmeti kullanım desenlerini incelemektir. Çalışmanın hedefi, Suriye mültecilerinin sağlık hizmetlerine etkisini ortaya koymak ve Şanlıurfa ilindeki deneyimlerini Türk hastalar ile karşılaştırmak, özellikle kadın hastalıkları ve doğum uygulamaları açısından farklılıkları değerlendirmektir.

Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya, 2011 ile 2019 tarihleri arasında sınır bölgesindeki kadın hastalıkları ve doğum poliklinikleri ile acil servislerine başvuran 18 yaş üzeri kadın hastalar dahil edilmiştir. Elektronik tıbbi kayıtlar kapsamlı şekilde incelenmiştir. İstatistiksel analizler IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 programı ile yapılmış, tanımlayıcı istatistikler ve karşılaştırmalı analizler kullanılarak çalışma popülasyonundaki farklılıklar değerlendirilmiştir.

Bulgular: Çalışma kapsamında toplam 1.557.878 hasta incelenmiş, bunların %95,2’si Türk, %4,8’i ise Suriye mültecisi olarak saptanmıştır. Demografik özellikler, hastaneye yatış oranları ve başvuru nedenleri arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunmuştur. Özellikle gebelikle ilişkili durumlarda belirgin farklılıklar gözlenmiş, Türk ve Suriyeli mülteci hastalar arasında sağlık hizmeti kullanım kalıplarının değişkenlik gösterdiği belirlenmiştir.

Sonuç: Bulgular, mülteci hastaların sağlık sistemleri üzerinde oluşturduğu çok yönlü zorlukların altını çizmektedir. Dil engeli, kültürel farklılıklar ve ruh sağlığı sorunlarından kaynaklanan çeşitli ihtiyaçların karşılanması için kapsamlı ve insancıl bir yaklaşım gereklidir. Yenilikçi stratejiler, hem ev sahibi hem de mülteci topluluklar için hizmet sunumunu, kaynak tahsisini ve adil sağlık hizmetlerini geliştirmek açısından önemlidir. Bu çalışma; hükümetlere, politika yapıcılara ve sağlık hizmeti sunucularına hizmet kalitesini artırmaya yönelik değerli bilgiler sunmaktadır.

References

  • Merill S, Hodge G. The war machine and global health: a critical medical anthropological examination of the human costs of armed conflict and the international violence industry. Choice Reviews Online 2010; 48:48–156348–1563. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.48-1563.
  • Yurtseven A, Özcan G, Saz EU. Comparison of between Syrian Patients and Turkish Patients Who Admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department: Experience of Ege University. Turk J Pediatr Emerg Inten Care Med 2015; 2:133–6. https://doi.org/10.5505/cayb.2015.02986.
  • European Union. EUR-Lex. Europaeu 2019. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html. Accessed January 10, 2024.
  • Fuhlhage M. Refugee, Evacuee, or Something Else? ETC: A Review of General Semantics 2006; 63:113.
  • Un Refugee Agency. Handbook and guidelines on procedures and criteria for determining refugee status: under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees. Geneva: Unhcr; 2011.
  • The UN Refugee Agency. UNHCR Turkey Stats - UNHCR Country. UNHCR 2019. Available at https://www.unhcr.org/tr/en/unhcr-turkey-stats. Accessed January 19, 2024.
  • T.C. Içişleri Bakanligi. Gecici Koruma. gocgovtr 2019. Available at https://www.goc.gov.tr/gecici-koruma5638. Accessed June 2, 2020.
  • Orhan O, Senyücel Gündoğar S. Effects of the Syrian Refugees on Turkey. 2015.
  • Adanu RMK, Johnson TRB. Migration and women’s health. Obstet Gynecol Int J 2009; 106:179–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.036.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Turkey - Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan 2020-2021. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020.
  • Babatunde A. Welcoming strangers! The responses of African Pentecostal Churches in London to Europe’s Migration and Refugee Crisis. Mission Hisp 2017; 44:263–83. https://doi.org/10.7832/44-2-173.
  • UNHCR. Worldwide displacement tops 70 million, UN Refugee Chief urges greater solidarity in response. UNHCR Turkey 2019. Available at https://www.unhcr.org/tr/en/22072-worldwide-displacement-tops-70-million-un-refugee-chief-urges-greater-solidarity-in-response.html. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  • Ministry Interior of Turkey. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior Presidency of Migration Management. Engocgovtr 2019. Available at https://en.goc.gov.tr/. Accessed June 5, 2020.
  • Sanliurfa Governorship. Duzensiz Goc ile Mucadele Bölge Toplantısı Sanlıurfa’da Yapıldı. Wwwsanliurfagovtr 2019. Available at http://www.sanliurfa.gov.tr/duzensiz-goc-ile-mucadele-bolge-toplantisi-sanliurfada-yapildi. Accessed December 29, 2019.
  • Almohammad D, Durrah O, Ahmed F. Deciphering the motives, barriers and integration of Syrian refugee entrepreneurs into Turkish society: a SEM approach. Digit Policy, Regul Gov 2021;23:59–76. https://doi.org/10.1108/dprg-05-2020-0066.
  • Yıldırım S, Tekdemir Yurtdas G. Social Construction of Syrian Refugees in Daily Speech in Turkey: Interpretative Repertoires and Social Media. Middle East J Refug Stud 2015; 1:77–122. https://doi.org/10.12738/mejrs.2016.1.1.0004.
  • Gokalp Aras NE, Kabadayi S, Ozeren E, Aydin E. Right to health and access to health-care services for refugees in Turkey. J Serv Mark 2021; 35:962–76. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-06-2020-0256.
  • Zighan S. Challenges faced by necessity entrepreneurship, the case of Syrian refugees in Jordan. J Enterprising Communities 2020; 15:531–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/jec-09-2020-0168.
  • AFAD. Afadgovtr n.d. Available at https://en.afad.gov.tr/. Accessed November 17, 2017.
  • Babacan T, Yılmaz TE, Babacan MT, Kasım İ, Yılmaz T, Şencan İ, et al. Correction to: Evaluation of immigrant health services in Turkey: a single-center study. J Public Health 2021; 31:163–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01668-x.
  • Tahirbegolli B, Çavdar S, Çetinkaya Sümer E, Akdeniz S, Vehid S. Outpatient admissions and hospital costs of Syrian refugees in a Turkish university hospital. Saudi Med J 2016; 37:809–12. https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2016.7.13839.
  • Çöl M, Bilgili Aykut N, Usturalı Mut AN, Koçak C, Uzun SU, Akın A, et al. Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Turkey: a scoping review within the framework of the MISP objectives. Reprod Health 2020;17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-00948-1.
  • TUIK. TUIK Kurumsal. Datatuikgovtr 2023. Available at https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Dogum-Istatistikleri-2022-49673. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  • TUIK. TUIK Kurumsal. Datatuikgovtr 2023. Available at https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=National-Education-Statistics-2022-49756. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  • Parker S. Hidden crisis: violence against Syrian female refugees. Lancet 2015; 385:2341–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)61091-1.
  • Atayoğlu A, Fırat Y, Kaya N, Başmısırlı E, Capar A, Aykemat Y, et al. Evaluation of Nutritional Status with Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) of Syrian Refugees Living Outside the Refugee Camps. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:849–9. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010849.
  • Pehlivanturk-Kizilkan M, Ozmert EN, Derman O, Okur İ, Kaynak MO, Adiguzel A, et al. Nutritional Status of Syrian Refugees in Early Adolescence Living in Turkey. J Immigr Minor Health 2020; 22:1149–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-00991-x.
  • Karabel M, Inci M, Demirbas M. Changing Rates of Cesarean Section in Turkey and in the World and Probable Causes. Sakarya Med J 2022;158-163. [In Turkish, English abstract]
  • Basara BB, Aygun A, Caglar IS, Kulali B. Sağlık Istatistikleri Yıllıgı 2019 Haber Bulteni. 2020.
  • Sayili U, Ozgur C, Bulut Gazanfer O, Solmaz A. Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes Between Turkish Citizens and Syrian Refugees with High-Risk Pregnancies. J Immigr Minor Health 2021; 24:1177–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01288-3.
  • Erenoğlu R, Yaman Sözbir Ş. The Effect of Health Education Given to Syrian Refugee Women in Their Own Language on Awareness of Breast and Cervical Cancer, in Turkey: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Cancer Educ 2019; 35:241–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01604-4.
  • Korkmaz AC. The Problems Caused to the Health and Nursing Services By The Asylum Seeker. J Health Nurs Manag 2014; 1:37–42. https://doi.org/10.5222/shyd.2014.037. [In Turkish, English abstract]
There are 32 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Clinical Sciences (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Haydar Kaya

Kemal Sandal 0000-0002-3736-0523

Duygu Lafcı

Early Pub Date November 7, 2025
Publication Date October 15, 2025
Submission Date September 21, 2025
Acceptance Date October 14, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 10 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Kaya, H., Sandal, K., & Lafcı, D. (2025). Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, 10(3), 58-67. https://doi.org/10.58854/jicm.1788467
AMA Kaya H, Sandal K, Lafcı D. Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience. J Immunol Clin Microbiol. October 2025;10(3):58-67. doi:10.58854/jicm.1788467
Chicago Kaya, Haydar, Kemal Sandal, and Duygu Lafcı. “Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience”. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology 10, no. 3 (October 2025): 58-67. https://doi.org/10.58854/jicm.1788467.
EndNote Kaya H, Sandal K, Lafcı D (October 1, 2025) Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology 10 3 58–67.
IEEE H. Kaya, K. Sandal, and D. Lafcı, “Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience”, J Immunol Clin Microbiol, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 58–67, 2025, doi: 10.58854/jicm.1788467.
ISNAD Kaya, Haydar et al. “Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience”. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology 10/3 (October2025), 58-67. https://doi.org/10.58854/jicm.1788467.
JAMA Kaya H, Sandal K, Lafcı D. Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience. J Immunol Clin Microbiol. 2025;10:58–67.
MLA Kaya, Haydar et al. “Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience”. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, vol. 10, no. 3, 2025, pp. 58-67, doi:10.58854/jicm.1788467.
Vancouver Kaya H, Sandal K, Lafcı D. Evaluation of Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in a Border Region: 8 Years of Experience. J Immunol Clin Microbiol. 2025;10(3):58-67.

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