Urban Survival and Health Inequality: Understanding precariat among Migrant Workers in Lahore

Abstract

The aim of the current research study was to explore the growing issues related to health conditions of migrant workers in Lahore, Pakistan, and how they can survive in an urban and a demographic that is largely marginalized due to labor laws and health equity. In the present scenario, the population to urban resides and the economy which appeared to feel as growing challenges need high priority in the planning of the intervention that could be implemented in order to know what precisely these workers are doing. The critical problems that had to be considered were their perception concerning their health and wellbeing, perception of barriers to health, informal labor influence, and social networks. The qualitative study was adopted and a sample population of 12, migrant workers, who represent the different divisions of Punjab, were interviewed through semi-structured interviewing technique. The thematic analysis has been used to identify the major themes of the experiences exhibited by the participants. The results indicated that although there is an adequate size of the number of respondents who proposed their health conditions to be mixed, their living and working conditions have a powerful implication on overall well-being. This degree of health disparity was comprehensive in that healthcare was restricted against access due to restrictions and constraints of access by financial factors and information. Their employment was an informal one hence physical and mental health complications and a majority of the participants talked of job insecurity and strain. The social networks proved to be central in the foundation of the emotional and practical support even though some of the workers accorded that they felt they were alienated and had no ties with the community resources. The study will be important in its contribution to the already available literature regarding the issue of migrant workers and their city-specific health care resulting incomes. When discussing the experiences of the migrant workers in Lahore, the paper provides the set of policy adjustments, which will consider their specifics and finally lower their health rates and ability to penetrate the urban society. Such observations give the prospective quantitative study a foundation of insights in studying the health processes of migrant workers more, and make various policy interventions.