Medical programme
Our medical team provides primary and emergency health services to the people living in the camp on Lesvos. With our work in our clinic inside the Mavrovouni camp, we contribute to improved access to healthcare and the quality and continuity of care by referring other types of (specialised) care to other actors.
Medical needs
As of the beginning of 2024, there are around 6,000 people in the Mavrovouni camp on Lesvos while the camp has facilities for up to 3,400 people. People live there while they wait for the result of their asylum procedure. As a result, people often stay for months or even years in legal limbo. As access to medical care is a human right, Boat Refugee Foundation wants to offer professional healthcare at any time and as close as possible to people on the move.
In 2022 and 2023, we saw a decrease in the availability of and accessibility to primary healthcare services. This changed our programme from focusing on emergency and short-term care to mainly primary healthcare. As a result, our team focuses on providing primary care and acute medical assistance. We see many complaints, ranging from ordinary flu symptoms to severely ill patients. We provide quality and continuous care if needed to ensure everyone receives fair treatment. In addition, we refer other types of (specialised) care to other actors in our network.
PRIMARY AND EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE
Our volunteer doctors, nurses, and psychologists offer medical care from our clinic in the camp. They are supported by interpreters from the community of asylum seekers and refugees living on Lesvos. We work as close to people in the medical area as possible. Our services complement the work of other health actors working in the camp.
People live in a camp with limited freedom to move, especially in the evenings. Therefore it is essential to provide healthcare to them as closely as possible. Being the only organisation working during the evenings, on weekends and national holidays, we play a crucial role. The medical services needed by the people in the camp are: emergency healthcare, primary healthcare and referrals for specialist care.
Training
In addition to our medical shifts, our team also contributes to improved knowledge and competency by training camp residents and professionals from partner organisations on topics such as First Aid and Health Promotion. These pieces of training are regularly organised by camp residents, who our medical volunteers train.
Collaboration
We work independently but are always in close contact with the community in the camp and other medical actors such as UNHCR, the Hellenic National Public Health Organisation (EODY), the local hospital, Crisis Management Association (CMA), Doctors Without Borders (MSF). We keep each other informed about our plans, prevent ourselves from unnecessarily doing things twice.
VOLUNTEER WITH US! WE ARE LOOKING FOR…
-
Doctors
We are looking for doctors with different specialisations, junior and senior. From GP’s to ER-doctors and surgeons.
-
Nurses
We are looking for nurses with experience in ER, ICU, ambulance care or as a psychiatric nurse.
-
Psychologists
We are looking for senior psychologists and psychiatric nurses, experienced in acute psychiatry.
SUPPORT MEDICAL CARE
It is only with your help we can continue to support the displaced people in the camp. We warmly encourage you to contribute and support our medical mission with a donation.
