MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2020) International human rights groups and charities are left alone with the task of providing the necessary healthcare assistance for thousands of refugees and migrants in camps on Greek islands after Athens revoked access to medical care for over 50,000 asylum seekers, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) head of mission in Greece, Stephan Oberreit, told Sputnik on Monday.
"In July 2019, the government revoked access to a social security number for all asylum seekers arriving in Greece, thereby denying free access to regular treatment as provided by Greek law. MSF and other medical organizations have been forced to, once again, try and substitute the role of the state and provide the medication to many of these patients," Oberreit said.
The head of mission added that at the moment there were only three professional doctors working in Moria Reception and Identification Center as well as one doctor in a camp on Vathy, who carried out simple border procedures rather than proper health checkups.
"Local health services and hospitals on the islands are not equipped to deal with the additional workload due to the increasing number of people stuck on the five islands. ... The provision of Primary healthcare is heavily dependent on volunteer-run medical organizations. The Greek Ministry of Health has continually faced a shortfall of medical and non-medical staff and lack basic equipment, supplies and medication," Oberreit said.
On January 31, the Greek government decided to reassign temporary social security numbers to migrants enabling them to access healthcare, however, people are yet to take advantage of the measure.
