Structural Challenges to Healthcare Access: A Comparative Analysis of International Students in Türkiye and Kazakhstan

Authors : Madina Konakbayeva, Serra Sevde Hatipoğlu

Pages : 218-234

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Publication Date : 2025-10-23

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The globalization of higher education has increased awareness of healthcare access issues by expanding international student mobility. This study examines the experiences of international students in Kazakhstan and Türkiye, guided by the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework as a guide. Twenty students from various disciplines participated in semi-structured interviews (10 in each country), and the results were analyzed using a qualitative comparative method. The study identifies five main obstacles to healthcare access: insufficient knowledge about medical services, administrative shortcomings, cultural differences, financial hardship, and language barriers. While self-funded students must endure expensive private insurance and administrative obstacles and occasionally travel back to their home countries for treatment, state-funded scholarship recipients in Türkiye benefit from comprehensive health insurance. In Kazakhstan, low-cost private health insurance is more common, but students frequently struggle with language barriers and the lack of translation support. In both countries, insufficient orientation and unclear procedures delay access to healthcare or discourage students from seeking it. These findings emphasize that structural conditions play a more decisive role in healthcare access than individual adjustment processes. The study suggests initiatives to improve international students\\\' health literacy, inclusive insurance plans, and multilingual information provision as ways to reduce disparities.
Keywords : Uluslararası Öğrenciler, Sağlık Hizmetlerine Erişim, Göç, Sağlığın Sosyal Belirleyicileri, Uluslararası Öğrenci Hareketliliği

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