The lack of a permanent physician has been a pressing issue at the Chisinau Migrants Accommodation Centre in the last few years. Thanks to the CareFor project, the Centre’s residents now benefit from primary medical attention.
The Migrants Accommodation Centre is the public custody facility under the Moldovan Bureau for Migration and Asylum which hosts temporarily foreigners who are either ordered to be returned, expulsed or declared undesirable. However, the foreigners may spend months in the Centre before their actual return, mainly due to documentation difficulties. During their stay, the Centre’s residents may be in need of medical attention.
The absence of a dedicated medical professional has been a gap constantly reported at the Centre, including by the Moldovan Ombudsman Office – a key partner in the project the “Capacity for a Rights-Based Reception System for Moldova” (CareFor). In close consultation with the Bureau for Migration and Asylum, a medical doctor has been identified to carry out outpatient consultations and provide primary health care to the foreigners held at the Migrants Accommodation Centre. For the more difficult cases, the doctor will refer them to specialised medical services. Finally, the doctor will team up with the Project’s psychologist in helping the overall physical and mental well-being of the residents.
The CareFor project, funded by the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, aims to contribute to a functioning and human-rights-compliant migration management system in Moldova while also addressing some of the more immediate needs caused by the unprecedented inflow of displaced people from Ukraine.