Refugees not getting adequate health care

The World Medical Association (WMA) said that the recent EU agreement signed with Turkey failed to address the humanitarian concerns facing the thousands of refugees making the journey from Turkey to Greece.

Under the terms of the agreement, any migrant arriving in Greece will be given a swift individual interview to determine whether they will be allowed to remain or sent back to Turkey.

The EU will take in one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey for each irregular migrant returned, in a move which is intended to break the business model of people-smugglers who have made fortunes by providing spaces in boats to desperate refugees.

The deal marks a radical shift of tactics after a year in which more than a million people entered the EU by making the short sea crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands.

But the WMA, which represents national medical associations from 112 countries, said the needs of refugees have been “largely overlooked”.

WMA president Sir Michael Marmot said: “We appeal to the national leaders to put the needs of the individuals at the heart of this mass migration.

“Their needs for housing, food, regular medical care and simple dignity have been largely overlooked so far. As physicians we have a duty to speak out about the risks to the health of these desperate people. We are concerned about the social determinants of health, illness prevention, the availability of health care and other areas to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation.”