Since December 2023, Med'EqualiTeam has been working in the Thessaloniki region to meet the growing primary health care needs of asylum seekers, refugees and other vulnerable groups. With the suspension of several programmes, the closure of NGOs and the geographical isolation of new camps, displaced populations face many barriers to accessing health care.
Greece Context
From the summer of 2015, large numbers of people seeking asylum arrived in the European Union, fleeing war or misery in their countries of origin. Greece is one of the entry points, and this situation has turned Thessaloniki into a key area on the route, due to its proximity to Türkiye and the Balkans.
Until December 2022 many people in Thessaloniki were housed under the ESTIA II (Emergency Support to Integration and Accommodation). After the closure of this program, approximately 10, 000 people were evicted from their homes, either forced into new controlled and remote camps or left without the assistance to find their own accommodation, increasing asylum seekers and refugees living in the streets in different cities.
In addition, the Greek islands like Samos and Lesvos continue to receive large inflows of asylum seekers, who are then regularly transferred to camps in northern Greece.
The Northern Greece Project:
Med'EqualiTeam operates in northern Greece to provide access to basic medical care for people on the move. Our actions focus mainly on:
- The establishment of free medical consultations
- Developing health education program
Medical mobile unit
People living in camps, whether documented or undocumented, are often unable to access adequate healthcare due to the isolation of the camps, the irregular presence of medical staff and barriers to access including the lack of provided translators and finances to travel into Thessaloniki for specialists.
In response to the camps’ geographic isolation, we operate a mobile clinic that moves to community centres near the camps to provide basic care to the displaced. We continue to develop our network to expand our coverage in hard-to-reach areas.
Our medical activities are deployed in several areas:
Thessaloniki suburbs
Set up in 2018 to help bridge the gap in services available to undocumented migrants, the WAVE social centre is located in one of Thessaloniki's poor suburbs. It aims to meet the basic needs of people on the move and anyone for whom social services are not available, including Greek people on the margins of society. Everyone has unconditional access to a meal, showers and a warm place to rest during the day.
We work there to provide care and help people who have financial difficulties or problems accessing other health services. We see asylum seekers living in camps or in Thessaloniki, as well as refugees and the city's homeless. The most common ailments are wound infections, skin diseases and parasitic infestations linked to precarious living conditions.
Lagkadikia
In this village, the NGO IHA is operating a community centre, a short distance from the nearby refugees camp hosting up to 500 refugees and asylum seekers.
It is a space for learning, cultural exchange and building community, and a place where people know they will always be welcomed. The centre offers daily English, Greek and German Classes, an Information Centre, and an accessible community space including women's and Child Friendly Space.
Patients come to us from the camp, where the lack of translators and medicines often has an impact on their access to healthcare. Inside the centre, we offer them basic medical care and the necessary treatment. When needed, we refer to other actors in Thessaloniki. Since opening, we have treated more than 1000 patients, mainly for respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, exacerbated by living conditions in the camps.
Ioannina
We work there in 2 different centers: Be Aware and Share Community center, and Habibi.Works. Ioannina is a city located 3 hours drive from Thessaloniki, and there are 3 refugee camps in the area.
Since July 2024; we finalized a cooperation with these 2 NGOs and come once per week to this area to provide free primary health care.
Medical conditions treated in our clinics:
We receive between 50 and 100 patients per week, with a constant increase of this number since we started.
The medical needs and demographics of our patients vary regularly according to the population. We see both adults and children, and we are able to offer basic medical care including antibiotic treatment and wound care, which can be essential in improving health outcomes and preventing worsening health in vulnerable populations.
The most common medical complaints are usually respiratory infections, skin diseases including scabies, musculoskeletal conditions and mental health concerns. The graph below shows the main categories of diseases we see:
We ensure that we develop a comprehensive understanding of Northern Greece, including regular contact with other NGOs, so that we can offer our patients the best information and access to other services.
Training and health education:
We are committed to promoting health in order to have an additional impact on improving the health of the people we care for.
We offer health education sessions to the communities, covering essential topics such as mental health, dental hygiene, advice for new mothers, first aid, etc. Furthermore, we adapt the topics according to the wishes of the beneficiaries of the centres. These sessions are a great opportunity for us to have a space to talk with the community, answer questions, build trust and learn from the community about their health and wellness needs.
We also offer free First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training to NGOs working in Northern Greece. Designed for volunteers and staff, it enables them to improve their skills and confidence in providing emergency first aid to better support their service users.
If you are interested in a first aid training or health education sessions for NGO and communities, please get in touch at thessa.health@medequali.team
The Team
Our team is composed of one field coordinator and one medical coordinator, our dedicated medical volunteers (usually 2 doctors and 1 nurse) and our essential local translators, in order to provide the best care for our patients.
Interested in being a part of our team? Check out volunteer page!
