Phil Galewitz’s report on migrant health centers (USA Today, “Fear keeps migrants from getting health care,” June 7) brings into focus a simple fact: in today’s global world, diseases do not discriminate among populations, nor recognize national borders. All providers, whether they are hospitals, private physicians or community health centers, have an important responsibility — to protect the health of their patients and communities against public health threats such as influenza, tuberculosis and other communicable disease.
When one person is unprotected or goes without health care, it affects us all. If a child goes unimmunized because his or her parents fear deportation, it may well put all children on the school playground or entire community at risk. This becomes especially important for those workers dealing with our nations’ food supply.
By granting all people access to low-cost preventive and primary care services with check-ups, screenings, and routine vaccinations (most especially for communicable diseases), we can better monitor, screen and halt the threat of widespread diseases and thus protect the overall health of all America’s communities. It just makes good, common and economic sense.
Simply put, we all benefit when there are no barriers to affordable and accessible preventive health care, especially when it comes to our nation’s food service and agricultural workers. The payback for the American public is lower health care costs, shorter lines at hospital emergency rooms, cost-savings for taxpayers and a healthier, more productive population.