“Perhaps one of the most important steps we took in our response to COVID-19 was engaging refugees and migrants in centers across the country,” says Aref Bandary, an Iranian-born doctor and cultural mediator who works at the Serbian Commissariat Works Refugees and Migration (SCRM) in Belgrade, Serbia.
Aref moved to Serbia over 26 years ago to study medicine. He joined the SCRM about 5 years ago and worked as a cultural mediator and interpreter to help refugees and migrants with access to health care. During the COVID-19 outbreak, he was appointed head of the COVID-19 response in refugee and migrant centers.
“The response actions recommended by WHO and the Serbian Ministry of Health, such as establishing close coordination and improving disease surveillance, were crucial,” he says.
Aref explains some of the work done to prepare refugee and migrant centers for a possible COVID-19 outbreak. “Our first steps were to visit all centers to assess the COVID-19 risks for refugees and migrants and to provide advice on public health. The aim was to limit the risk of infection for everyone in Serbia, especially for people staying in long-term care facilities and migration centers. With residents living in a confined space, if introduced, the virus could have spread quickly and particularly affect the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, both within the center and in the surrounding community.
Health education materials fostered the spirit of collaboration
Aref and his team quickly began distributing material on how people could protect themselves based on WHO guidelines and were in constant dialogue with health authorities.
“We have distributed health education materials in seven languages to ensure everyone has access to information in a language they are comfortable with. We organized weekly seminars on COVID-19, distributed flyers and posters, and showed daily updates on television to ensure that the information available was accessible to all. “
Aref emphasizes the importance of having personal protective equipment, hygiene products and disinfectants in order to prevent and prepare for COVID-19 cases. “We made sure we were kept a safe physical distance from others, and if people showed any of the symptoms, they were kept in separate areas until the symptoms passed,” he adds.
“Because the information available was accessible to everyone, people really understood the gravity of the situation and were motivated to do their bit. Many refugees who stayed in the center volunteered where they could – some were nurses or medically trained, others were tailors and offered to sew fabric masks. “
Close cooperation with the Serbian public health system
“Refugees and migrants can turn to the SCRM for health assistance that they cannot get at the centers because they either need to be visited by a specialist or the centers do not have the necessary equipment on site. Doctors who work in the centers can also report if they encounter a linguistic or communicative obstacle, ”explains Aref.
“Close cooperation between the centers and the public health systems is essential. My dual role as translator and doctor has helped me a lot in many cases. I once met a refugee from Afghanistan who had asked me to meet on another matter, but when I saw him I immediately realized that something was wrong with his eye, which he was trying to explain as a simple infection. However, I alerted a public hospital that the man needed an immediate operation. If he hadn’t received immediate medical attention, he could have lost his eye. “
Aref also talks about the personal importance of his work. “Being able to help others who often have long and stressful journeys behind them is emotionally exhausting, but also very rewarding. It is gratifying to see how refugees and migrants recover and heal in the centers. “
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