Medical help for illegal migrants

Maltese migrants Medicine: Anonymous help in an emergency

05/11/2012

Migrants without a residence permit face considerable problems when they need medical care in Germany. This concerns „According to estimates, up to half a million people in Germany“, Those who live illegally, according to the latest communication from Malteser Hilfsdienst in Fulda. With the now opened Malteser Migranten medicine at the Herz Jesu hospital in Fulda the affected persons should be helped.

„In the Malteser Migranten Medizin, people without a valid residence status and people without health insurance can find a doctor who will take over the initial examination and emergency care in case of sudden illness, injury or pregnancy“, so the message of Malteser Hilfsdienst. Here the needy patients are helped without first asking the formal questions about papers and health insurance, explained the spokeswoman for the Maltese in Fulda, Stefanie Bode.

Medical care while maintaining anonymity
According to the Maltese spokeswoman counts, „if a person can no longer stand it in pain or a disease threatens his life, only the question of how this person can get well again.“ The residence permit or the health insurance therefore do not interest in the Malteser migrants medicine. Here the patients are helped under protection of anonymity, reports Malteser Hilfsdienst. The offer is aimed at a not so small group of people. According to experts, around 500,000 migrants live in Germany without a residence permit. In addition, the growing number of Germans who have dropped out of health insurance in the Malteser migrants medical care.

On average, eleven needy patients per consultation
Opened in Fulda, the Malteser Migranten Medizin is the third institution of its kind in Hesse and is available every two weeks on Tuesdays from 2 to 6 pm in the Herz Jesu Hospital. Similar facilities exist in Hesse already in Frankfurt and in Darmstadt. According to the Malteser relief service, around 1,200 patients were already cared for at these two locations last year. On average, eleven patients were treated per office hour and location.

Maltese migrants medicine in Germany at twelve locations
Throughout Germany, the aid organization now operates the Malteser Migranten Medizin at twelve locations. Since its founding eleven years ago, more than 40,000 patients have been treated in Germany as part of this offer, reports Malteser Hilfsdienst. According to the Maltese, the most common causes of treatment included infectious diseases, pregnancies, tumors, the consequences of accidents and toothaches. Many patients could be helped with the offer. (Fp)

Picture: Andrea Damm