Support Healthcare for Refugees

THE PROBLEM

MSRI currently provides support to almost 5,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and many others who are living in Malaysia.

One of our main activities is the Refugee Healthcare Programme. Since 2011, we provide a broad range of health services for vulnerable and at risk refugees and asylum-seekers at a fee of RM1 per individual and RM2 per family to our clients. As refugees / asylum seekers with no recognized legal status in Malaysia, most of our clients have no consistent source of income and despite receiving UNHCR cardholder discounted rate, the costs for health treatment and checkups are still a lot for them.

To understand how difficult it is for a refugee / asylum seeker to obtain proper healthcare, here is a true story of one of our clients, Hakim (names have been changed for confidentiality purpose):

Hakim’s son, Sohrab was 9 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer in his left eye. Dropping out of school to receive chemotherapy, which his father could not afford, Sohrab rapidly lost his eyesight. For his father, the costs for monthly chemotherapy, added by the expenses incurred for hospital visits and medication were too much for him to afford. As a result, Hakim was in debt. Needing to be with his son and to transport him to the hospital, Hakim could not hold a full-time job. Appealing to MSRI, Hakim and Sohrab were able to receive the support they needed. Through the fund provided, MSRI has been able to help Hakim pay for all of Sohrab’s chemotherapy sessions and help Hakim get back on his feet to work full-time. 2 years later, in February 2017, MSRI received a report from the hospital that Sohrab is now cancer-free and healthy.

THE SOLUTION

The MSRI Refugee Health Programme is leading the way in providing a holistic and inclusive health service as a lifesaving medical safety-net while at the same time fostering regular communication with UNHCR on vulnerable cases.

Your donation will help us keep the door of our clinic open; attain the necessary amount of medicine needed for the treatments, and to support the refugees seeking help.

Breakdown of the intended usage of the funds: 

1. Drugs, medicines, consumable medical supplies

• RM30 worth of medication per person x 280 people in need of treatment = RM 8,400.00 per month x 3 months = RM 25,200.0

2. Medical emergency assistance and surgeries

• RM600 per month x 20 highly vulnerable people suffering from chronic illnesses / extreme injuries in need of emergency assistance  / surgeries = RM 12,000.00 per month x 3 months = RM 36,000.00

3. Transportation Costs for hospital visits, house visits and others

• RM 600 per month x 3 months = RM 1,800.00

4. Social Worker’s Salaries

• RM 1,500 per month x 3 months = RM 4,500.00

5. Livelihood Coordinator’s Salaries

• RM 2,700 per month x 3 months = RM 8,100.00

6. Facility rental and utilities (inclusive of rental, electricity, water, maintenance and communications)

• RM 3,000 per month x 3 months = RM 9,000.00

THE IMPACT

In 2016, MSRI was able to give access to affordable healthcare to 3,333 refugees and asylum-seekers. In addition, 397 individuals have undergone counselling sessions in 2016. For most of them, we are the only option to seek health treatment. Therefore, we help those who have nowhere else to go and offer a safe space when they need it most.

The MSRI Refugee Health Programme is leading the way in providing a holistic and inclusive health service as a lifesaving medical safety-net while at the same time fostering regular communication with UNHCR on vulnerable cases.

In addition, the doctor refers patients in need of special services to partner clinics that offer services at a discounted price, which include blood tests, ultrasounds, and gynaecological and cancer examinations.  Referral is also provided from doctors for those in need of counselling. However, for those in need of psychological or psychiatric treatment, referrals are given to a partner organisation. So far these are the services offered by the Healthcare Programme:

●      The Primary Healthcare Programme provides provision of emergency treatment and essential medicines.

●      The Counselling services provide counselling that meets the unique needs of refugees with the purpose of helping them overcome depression and trauma and increasing their emotional health and well-being. Sessions are conducted with both men and women, either individually or in groups. In addition, the counsellor also holds counselling sessions with an entire family, in cases that may call for further intervention.

MSRI provides Emergency Support to those patients who cannot pay their medical bills.  The patients need to fill out an emergency support form and money is allocated to those in extreme need and is prioritised through the urgency of each case. In order to formalise each case, there are feedback and input given by the doctors and if needed the information will be requested by the healthcare worker from UNHCR. Financial support to cover these cases come through a special MSRI medical fund.

Support Healthcare for Refugees