Doctors of the World – Health is Not A Luxury campaign
In Monday’s newsletter we highlighted an article by Dr Paquita de Zulueta on the importance of ensuring that asylum seekers and undocumented migrants retain access to primary care, calling on her colleagues to “overcome bureaucratic barriers and register patients irrespective of their residential status.”
Dr Zulueta volunteers at Doctors of the World, Project:London, a humanitarian organisation based in the same London building as NCADC. Project:London manager Fizza Qureshi got in touch with some information about the organisation, and it’s Health is Not A Luxury campaign.
“All too often people assume that everyone has access to healthcare here in the UK. However, every year, many families seeking basic immunisations for their children or medicine for themselves are not able to see a doctor. With ever increasing inequality in healthcare, both in the UK and overseas, health is not and must not become a luxury! Health is priceless.”
Project:London has launched the ‘HEALTH IS NOT A LUXURY’ E-Petition. It calls on the UK government to uphold the right of vulnerable migrants to access healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. If the petition gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons so please pass this onto your friends and family. The e-petition is open until September 2012.
Fizza sees those without access to medical care on a regular basis:
“The people we see at Project:London prove that even though we live in a rich nation there are those who struggle to register with the NHS and see a doctor. Having access to healthcare is essential for the patient but also it has a wider implication from a public health point of view. We are encouraging people to sign our petition calling for the UK government to uphold the right of vulnerable migrants to access healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. Health is not a luxury, for anyone.”
“This issue is more important than ever before. With the current Health and Social Care Bill passing through the House of Lords our concern is that the vulnerable people we see will struggle even more then before. Our fear is that GP surgeries will be reluctant to take on people with complex medical issues or those who need additional services such as a translator because they will be perceived as being more costly to budgets. The consequence will be that these people will go without care. The proposed system will sideline marginalised groups because they are not perceived to be profitable.”
Doctors of the World UK is part of an international humanitarian organisation working around the world to give people access to healthcare.
Project:London was set up in 2006 to focus on four main objectives:
Highlight the large number of vulnerable people who have difficulty accessing healthcare
Advocate for better health provision for these groups
Offer advice and practical assistance to help people access NHS and other relevant services whenever possible
Provide medical care, in the interim, through a volunteer-led clinic in Bethnal Green.
Since its opening in 2006, it has seen the numbers of patients grow by 300%. In 2010, we saw just over 1700 people. They received medical treatment and help to register with a GP.
For more information visit Doctors of the World UK’s website
