4.7. Access to Healthcare

ailing father of the sponsor, but in addition to taking care of him during the daytime, she would also carry out the household chores for the families of his children:

‘‘I would wake up at 6 in the morning and work till 10 at night. These are big houses. I had to do the work of the houses of the sons and daughters also. To wash clothes, and cook for them. One of his daughters had two daughters and her husband was not with them. So I had to do a lot of their work. but they were not strict or mean to me. The children would just throw away their clothes after wearing it for a few hours. I had to wash all of that and iron everything from the knickers. That is how I spent my day.’’ - Gampaha, Returnee female, 47 years.

Interestingly a factor that makes women ‘put up’ with such a heavy workload is instances where the female employer is sympathetic and not abusive.

In general, men worked steady hours and had access to a rest day, usually Friday. But for women, there were no breaks and no rest days. Just as with the long working hours, women have come to accept this as normal and the laws that govern their work lives abroad.

None of the women complained about the lack of rest days, rather, their major issue was with the pace and load of work required to be completed each day. A common complaint is that even during a break for meals, the employer would interrupt and call for assistance or for a particular task to be completed. These situations are further compounded when their access to food is also restricted. While some of the women noted that they were allowed to prepare their own meals, others were less fortunate and at times, their access to the refrigerator would also be denied. In such situations, while some women had to steal food meant for the family, there was also a fear of being caught through the CCTV systems in operation. A few reported relying on the neighbour’s domestic help to provide small amounts of food. With regard to access to healthcare, there are differences noted among the domestic workers and the male workers working in the formal sector. The men reported having access to a form of insurance provided by the employer: while the insurance pays a certain percentage of the medical costs, the employee will bear the majority of the expenses. Hence, in general, men do not always access healthcare unless absolutely necessary.

‘‘The company covers healthcare but we take Panadol [paracetamol]. Just as soon as we get an injection, the fever goes down. There are doctors in pharmacies. When we tell them, they give us medicine, but it is expensive.’’ - Colombo, male, returnee.

‘‘I recently developed a back pain. We get a medical, but 80 per cent of the medicine should be bought from outside. They only sponsor for common illnesses like fever and cold but not for back pains. I had to buy medicine from outside. It’s so expensive.’’ - Gampaha, male, returnee.

On the other hand, women reported either not having to pay for medical care or not having access to medical care at all. There was a general sentiment that one had to continue to work, despite the severity of the illness, with several of the women complaining that for every sickness the solution was a “paracetamol”. Even in cases where women had to be taken to seek medical treatment, they were expected to return home and complete the general tasks.

‘‘Going abroad is no joke. You don’t go there to enjoy luxuries. Even if you fall sick, you must work. They take you to the doctor’s and get you the medicine and then ask you to work.’’ - Colombo, female, returnee, 40, separated.

There were, however, a few exceptions where the female workers reported being taken care of and being allowed time to recuperate.