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MERCY Malaysia Signs MoU with UNHCR and The Czech Republic... |
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Thursday, 21 June 2007 |
…to bring the clinic to the patient – creative health solutions for displaced persons
Kuala Lumpur
– If refugees are unable to go to clinics, then bring the services to
them, and effectively address potential public health problems.
It
was with this in mind that the Embassy of the Czech Republic in
Malaysia, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Malaysian Medical
Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia) today signed a tripartite agreement to
initiate a 9-month long Mobile Healthcare Clinic Project for refugees
in Malaysia.
“Access to healthcare services is sometimes
limited for refugees and asylum-seekers due to various factors such as
costs of medical care, language barriers and difficulties in physically
accessing hospitals and clinics,” said Dr. Volker Türk, UNHCR
Representative. “This mobile clinic project will enable healthcare
services to reach refugees where they are.
“UNHCR is proud to have the Czech Embassy and MERCY Malaysia as partners in this humanitarian initiative.”
“MERCY
Malaysia is honoured to be chosen as UNHCR’s implementing partner for
the second time as we have worked with the esteemed organisation in
2003,” said Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, President of MERCY Malaysia.
“And
based on our previous working experience that included providing
primary healthcare through our mobile clinics for the Rohingya
communities and Acehnese communities,” added Dr. Jemilah, “we are
confident that we will succeed in providing these medical services once
again.”
Ms. Dana Hunatova, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in
Malaysia said that the Czech Republic hopes that this mobile clinic
project not only will bring benefits to refugees, but will also draw
more attention to the problems faced by refugees in the country.
“We
understand the whole complexity of this issue and we hope that with
this small contribution we are also helping Malaysia to tackle it,”
said Ambassador Hunatova.
“Foreign humanitarian aid is an
integral part of the Czech Republic’s foreign policy. In providing
humanitarian aid, the Czech Republic collaborates with international
humanitarian organisations, and one of them has traditionally been the
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“That is now the case
of humanitarian aid for refugees who have come to Malaysia in the hopes
of finding temporary shelter in their difficult situation. However,
they are not given the opportunity to find legal employment here, and
therefore, cannot send their children to school while they struggle
with only limited access to basic healthcare.”
The project, due
to take off on 1 July 2007, will be implemented by MERCY Malaysia from
funding provided by the Czech Embassy, and will be jointly monitored by
UNHCR and the Czech Embassy. During this initial 9-month period, mobile
clinics will cover an estimated population of 1,000 refugees in the
Klang area of Selangor.
The project does not aim to replace
existing health services provided in Government and private clinics.
Instead, the project aims to complement and reinforce these services by
bringing healthcare to refugees who, due to a variety of reasons, are
unable to make the journey to the various clinics.
“Similar
mobile clinics have been conducted by Non-Governmental Organisations
such as the Buddhist Tzu-Chi and ACTS, with great success. The mobile
clinics that will be run by volunteer doctors of MERCY Malaysia will
reach a previously underserved community of refugees in Klang,” added
Dr. Türk.
“This MoU-signing ceremony follows in the path of
several other events held in conjunction with World Refugee Day 2007.
It embodies the spirit of World Refugee Day that encourages cooperation
among many stakeholders in the protection of, and assistance to
refugees.”
Note to Editor
THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR)
leads and coordinates international action to protect and assist
refugees and find long term solutions for their plight. UNHCR strives
to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek international
protection and find safe refuge in another state, and to return home
voluntarily if circumstances so permit. In Malaysia, UNHCR works with
Malaysian partners to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees.
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