“Perhaps one of the most important steps that we took in our response to COVID-19 has been engaging refugees and migrants inside the centres across the country,” says Aref Bandary, a doctor and cultural mediator originally from Iran working in the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration (SCRM) in Belgrade, Serbia.
Aref moved to Serbia over 26 years ago to study medicine. He joined the SCRM about 5 years ago, working as a cultural mediator and interpreter to help refugees and migrants access health care. During the COVID-19 outbreak, he was appointed as the lead of the COVID-19 response in refugee and migrant centres.
“The response measures recommended by WHO and the Serbian Ministry of Health, such as establishing close coordination and enhancing disease surveillance, were critical,” he states.
Aref explains some of the work undertaken to prepare refugee and migrant centres for a possible COVID-19 outbreak. “Our first actions consisted in visiting all the centres to assess COVID-19 risks to refugees and migrants and provide public health advice. The objective was to limit the risk of contagion for everyone in Serbia, and specifically for people staying in long-term care facilities and migration centres. As residents live in close quarters, the virus could have spread rapidly if introduced, affecting primarily the most vulnerable, such as older people, both within the centre and in the surrounding community.”
Health education material fostered a spirit of collaboration
Aref and his team swiftly began distributing material on how people could protect themselves based on WHO guidance, and were in constant dialogue with public health authorities.
“We distributed health education material in seven languages to make sure everyone had access to information in a language they were comfortable with. We organized weekly seminars on COVID-19, distributed flyers and posters, and screened daily updates over television to ensure the available information was accessible to all.”
Aref highlights the importance of receiving personal protective equipment, hygiene products and disinfectants to prevent and prepare for any COVID-19 cases. “We made sure to stay at a safe physical distance from others, and when people presented any of the symptoms, they were placed in separate areas until the symptoms passed,” he adds.
“Because the available information was accessible to everyone, people truly understood the seriousness of the situation and were motivated to do their part. Many refugees staying in the centre volunteered to help however they could – some were nurses or medically trained, others were tailors by trade and offered to sew fabric masks.”
Working closely with the Serbian public health system
“Refugees and migrants can refer to the SCRM to seek health-related assistance they cannot receive in the centres, either because they need to be visited by a specialist or because the centres do not have the necessary equipment on site. Medical professionals working in the centres can also reach out when they encounter a linguistic or communication obstacle,” Aref explains.
“A close collaboration between the centres and the public health systems is of the essence. My dual role as a translator and a doctor has been very useful in many instances. I once met with a refugee from Afghanistan who had requested to meet me on another matter but, upon seeing him, I immediately recognized there was something wrong with his eye, which he tried to explain away as a simple infection. However, I alerted a public hospital that the man required immediate surgery. Had he not received medical care right away, he could have lost his eye.”
Aref also speaks about the personal significance of his work. “Being in a position to help others, who often have long and distressing journeys behind them, is emotionally taxing, but it is also very rewarding. It is gratifying to see refugees and migrants recuperate and heal in the centres.”