Refugee week: Life-saving medical care for refugees in Iraq
Radwan (centre) stands with his parents, brother and Father Shwan.
Many refugees and internally displaced people face major barriers to accessing medical care. This was the case for Radwan, a Syrian refugee in Iraq, who contracted meningitis. Without Embrace funding that paid for his stay in intensive care, it could have been fatal.
Radwan fled to Iraq from Syria five years ago, with his parents and brother. His mother and father are both unemployed, leaving Radwan and his brother responsible for bringing in enough money to cover the family’s needs. Jobs are hard to find in Iraq, and refugees are often paid less than Iraqi workers and not protected from exploitation.
Radwan says: “On my 25th birthday, I had a fever and came home from my work in a hair salon. I was vomiting. I don’t remember anymore. I was in the ICU for four or five days. When I woke up, I thought, where am I?”
When Radwan collapsed, his mother called an ambulance and her son was immediately taken to Maryamana Hospital, run by our partner the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil. The hospital conducted tests, scans and a spine biopsy that confirmed Radwan had meningitis.
Concerned about how they would pay for his treatment, Radwan’s mother contacted Father Shwan, a Chaldean priest. Father Shwan was able to support the family by using funds provided by Embrace. Without Embrace’s assistance, the family would never have been able to afford the bill of $600 per day for his stay in intensive care. Although the future is far from certain for Radwan, who will need to take medication for a year and is unsure when he can return to work, they are grateful to have him back home.
Radwan’s mother says: “I lost hope. Father Shwan is an angel!”
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN…
WELCOMING SUDAN’S REFUGEES IN EGYPT
Nadia and her young family recently crossed the border into Egypt - but like many fleeing the violence, they’d had to leave everything behind.