Serbia: Mobile Medical Clinic

Mobile Medical Clinic Begins Operations: Q1 2017

April 16, 2017

Reporting Officer Marjan al Mahamid, with input from RMF Program Director N’Deane Helajzen, Program Manager Žarko Stanić, and RMF Serbia’s Medical Officers: Dr. Marija Ilievski, Dr. Andrijana Ljubojević, Dr. Dragana Marković, Dr. Daniel Pejković, Dr. Jovana Milić, Dr. Miljana Stojiljković, Dr. Vinka Stojković, and Dr. Sofija Manjak

Serbia Initiative Reports

Two young girls in front of Miksalište Refugee Aid Centre, Belgrade

Current Context in Serbia

Increasing Numbers of Refugee Children

The first quarter of 2017 saw an influx of unaccompanied and separated refugee children (UASC) from Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as high numbers of pushbacks from the Hungarian border into Serbia. The overall number of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants counted in Serbia averaged around 7,800, with 6,700 (86%) being sheltered in 17 heated government facilities. The others were sleeping rough (homeless) in the Belgrade city center, northern Serbia (near the Hungarian border), and western Serbia (near the border with Croatia).

RMF management team at Krnjača Refugee Camp, Belgrade

RMF’s Involvement

Emergency Health Coordination and Care

During the first quarter of 2017, RMF Serbia maintained its support by cooperating with other humanitarian actors (UN agencies, NGOs, and civil societies) involved in emergency and crisis preparedness at the national and sub-national levels. In particular, RMF Serbia revitalized and supported the health coordination task force in “the Barracks” behind Belgrade’s main bus station to respond to acute emergencies.

Over the period of three months, with an average daily OPD of 67 patients, RMF provided a total of 5,939 health consultations to men, women, and children in Belgrade and Adaševci.

RMF Medical Officer Vinka Stojković treating patients in our clinic at Miksalište Refugee Aid Centre, Belgrade

Mobile Medical Clinic Impact

Providing Holistic Care for Refugees

RMF Serbia’s team continued to provide holistic medical care and support to persons of concern:

RMF’s mobile medical clinic arrived from Germany and was released by Serbian customs in February 2017. After a period of preparation, which involved the development of protocols and fully stocking medical supplies within the clinic, we commenced operations in the mobile medical clinic in March 2017. The mobile clinic helped strengthen our response to the acute emergencies in the area of “the Barracks” behind the main Belgrade bus station, providing a climate-controlled (safer in winter months), versatile space from which our frontline medical workers and cultural mediators and translators can provide primary healthcare services.
In February 2017, RMF began operating the medical clinic in Adaševci. We provide health care at the clinic from 4:00 PM to midnight, 7 days a week.
Provided 3,103 health consultations to men, women, and children refugees and migrants in the Belgrade city center.
Provided 2,836 health consultations to men, women, and children refugees and migrants in Adaševci Transit Centre in Western Serbia.
Continued to provide medical services, interpretation, translation and cultural mediation, escorting, and transportation to secondary medical and other facilities in 89 cases.
Provided assorted drugs and medical care, as well as hygiene packs, safety kits, and children’s kits to support the response to refugees.

Donate

Improve the health status and overall wellbeing of refugees in Obrenovac Reception and Transit Centre and greater Belgrade.
Provide medical and translation services to refugees and act as cultural mediators for them at public institutions in Serbia.
Refer, transport, and escort refugees and asylum seekers to secondary and tertiary medical care facilities in Belgrade.

RMF provides primary healthcare and emergency triage services at our Obrenovac Transit Centre mobile medical clinic from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM, 5 days a week. The work is implemented by a medical team consisting of 1 to 2 doctors, 1 cultural mediator/translator, and 2 drivers. This ensures that emergency cases arriving at the clinic can immediately access referrals to secondary and tertiary care facilities. By providing primary healthcare services, referrals, and cultural mediation, RMF improves the wellbeing of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers in Belgrade and Obrenovac.