Health and medical services

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognizes the urgent need for the health sector to address the impact of migration and displacement on health by ensuring migrants’ access to preventive, curative and palliative health services. During their journey migrants may be confronted by harsh conditions, especially if in an irregular or undocumented situation. Migrant centres may therefore offer medical assistance to ensure access to health care by vulnerable beneficiaries. Assistance may be provided either directly in the facility or through referrals to specialized partners or to external medical services. Migrant centres usually provide preventive and basic curative health assistance to beneficiaries, who are then referred to local hospitals or health clinics if required by their medical conditions. To this end, the establishment of long-term agreements with external medical facilities is recommended in order to facilitate the referrals (please consult the relevant entry)

When medical assistance is among the services provided by migrant centre, the presence of medical personnel (medical doctor and/or nurses) shall be ensured full time. A room to be used as infirmary shall be foreseen, as well as a dedicated observation space for sick migrants in order to enable close monitoring and ensure isolation in case of infectious diseases. The spaces dedicated to medical assistance should be designed to provide privacy. Reception desks, waiting, and arranged to preclude the possibility of others overhearing conversation between beneficiaries and healthcare practitioners. All records related to beneficiaries’ healthcare are confidential. As such, they shall be stored securely and shall not be shared without prior consent. Upon request, complete medical records should be handed over to beneficiaries. For further guidance on data protection, please consult this entry .

Medical screening upon arrival at the facility to check beneficiaries’ general health status and to verify that they are not suffering from any infectious or contagious pathology; Primary health assessment and treatment followed by referral to specialised health care providers, if needed; In case of referrals, provision of information on health facilities affiliated to the migrant centre, explanations on the procedures and language assistance; Testing for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases. In case of a positive result of HIV or other pathologies, provision of individual counselling and treatment; Sexual and reproductive health-related counselling and treatment; Assistance to victims of gender-based violence (GBV) or other inhuman and degrading treatment; Provision of medical assistance in the framework of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) and resettlement programs (inbound/outbound), including fit for travel (FFT) examination, exchanges with the medical team in sending/receiving countries and medical escort; Distribution of health promotion materials in a format and language understood by beneficiaries, including information on communicable and non-communicable diseases, nutrition, hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and the availability of healthcare services.