IN VELIKA KLADUŠA FIRST FROSTBITES AND FIRST SEEKERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

IN VELIKA KLADUŠA FIRST FROSTBITES AND FIRST SEEKERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

 

Dimitar Anakiev·Saturday, December 1, 20183 Reads

 

Last night temperature in Velika Kladuša officially went down to -6 degrees C. In wetlands by river Kladušnica given by the municipality to refugees and migrants for living it went even to -8. Volunteer Medical Team (VMT) of SOS Team Kladuša report about 50 new patients treated today for different medical cases: most of them (27) because of wounds (88) and different skin conditions (including scabies). Three epidemics are still dancing in nearly same rhythm: 10 new flu cases, one new gastroenteritis, 6 new cases of toothache. The first time VMT treated frostbites. Because of no shelter and also no regular WASH infrastructure in camp Trnovi such wounds are very hard to treat regularly. In a country where UN agencies work in the field more than 20 years we have situation that more than 2/3 of refugees and migrants are facing winter without proper (or any) shelter, without WASH infrastructure and without primary healthcare. What does it it mean? It clearly speaks that political will of responsible politics acts in a direction of massive violation of numerous human rights... I heard today that a group of international lawyers are preparing a lawsuit against those responsible for human rights violations to refugees and migrants in BiH. That means also against many actors of “international community” and EU bureaucrats. I think it is not bad idea. We can learn many interesting things from such lawsuit. For example: is such massive violation of human rights a kind of torture? Then: who suspended Healthcare Law of FBiH allowing explicitly health service to both categories: refugees and migrants? Etc. Etc. ...VMT reports about first cases of refugees and migrants seeking psychological help. People are heavily bitten and then forced to sleep in wetland without shelter and infrastructure. Without healthcare rights it is not easy to support them psychologically apart from help offered by S.O.S. volunteers.

 

Dimitar Anakiev, MD GP and Global Health spec.