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Are there policies and/or good practices accomodating culture/ traditions' respect in health care

Code:
RED94
Key Area:
Health And Social Protection
Strand(s):
Discrimination, Equality
24/02/2012 - 19:35
Short Answer

Only partially.

Qualitative Info

Socio-Medical Centres provide basic health care services such as preventive medicine, primary health and social care, vaccination, support services and vocational counselling in Roma settlements. A total of 32 such centres have been established in as many municipalities and are co-financed by the European Union Social Fund and the state budget.

As the MIGHEALTHNET report points out  in Greece the examples of best practice in health care services addressing migrants are very few: ‘In the National Health System no intercultural services, information in other languages, except Greek, and interpretation services are available. Isolated examples of best practice mainly refer to practices and projects of NGOs offering health care services and psychosocial support to undocumented migrants, refugees and minorities.’ 


There are a number of NGO and EU-funded initiatives by the Doctors of the World, PRAKSIS, Greek Council for Refugees, Hellenic Red Cross and Medécins Sans Frontières active in providing health care services, counseling and information on welfare, and psychosocial support to undocumented migrants, refugees and minorities. Two of the NGOs (Hellenic Red Cross and Medécins Sans Frontières) run health units (polyclinics) in Athens, Thessaloniki and Crete providing free primary health care services, medication and psychosocial support to people who do not have access to the National Health System, primarily undocumented migrants and rejected asylum seekers. The Greek Council for Refugees and the Hellenic Red Cross provide councelling services and psychosocial support at refugee camps. Some of the organisations use interpretation services however this is not a universal practice.

Sources:

Pavlou M. - Prearis K. (2010), RAXEN Thematic Study: Racist and related hate crimes in the EU - Greece, HLHR-KEMO/i-RED. available on http://www.i-red.eu/?i=institute.en.publications.210

MIGHEALTHNET, National Capodistrian University of Athens, Έκθεση για την υγεία των μεταναστών στην Ελλάδα, (03.2009), http://www.mighealth.net/el/index.php/, english summary: http://www.mighealth.net/el/images/f/f7/Greek_State_of_the_Art_Report_-_English_Summary.pdf

 

Groups affected/interested Migrants, Refugees, Roma & Travelers
Type (R/D)
Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas Health and social protection
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Situation(s)
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