WITNESS • RIGHT TO HEALTH

SPECIAL CARE FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED

One of the biggest difficulties in the lives of migrants and refugees is access to health care systems, especially when they lack regular stay permits for the country. The Scalabrinian Fathers try to address this challenge.

BY FR EDUARDO GABRIEL CS | SOCIOLOGIST, DIRECTOR OF ST CHARLES CLINIC, LA ROCHELLE, JOHANNESBURG

SINCE SOUTH Africa has not yet achieved free universal health care, medical services must be paid for, even in public facilities. Therefore, special attention needs to be given to migrants and refugees in terms of their access to health care.

Rabat Declaration

In June 2023, around 50 countries signed the Rabat Declaration, a commitment to pursue access to health care for migrants and refugees. The challenge for the signatory countries is to implement public policies which guarantee this process. The Rabat Declaration seems to be a huge step forward in the field of access to health, a fundamental constituent in the lives of migrants and refugees, especially considering the amount of trauma and tension to which they are subjected. Since South Africa is one of the signatories of the Rabat Declaration, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the lives of migrants and refugees here.

St. Charles Clinic Centre

As a significant symbol of bravery in the humanitarian service for those most in need, the St Charles Clinical Centre opened its doors in La Rochelle, Johannesburg, on the 1st of August this year. It is named after a great saint who lived close to the poor, especially the sick, who faced the black plague in Milan. St Charles took on local political leadership when the rulers decided to leave the city amid the chaos caused by the plague.

St Charles’ clinic focuses on serving those who are not assisted by the public health system, particularly undocumented migrants and female refugees, as well as their children. The clinic is one of the social projects of the Scalabrinian Fathers. It is staffed with a professional nurse who attends to patients two days a week; for more serious cases, the clinic has the support of a volunteer gynaecologist. In the spirit of St Charles, it aims to be a space that welcomes everyone who needs basic treatment without distinction.

Conference in Geneva

Between March 12 and 14, 2024, an international conference on migration and health took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The aim of the meeting was to discuss strategies for engaging religious groups working with migrants, refugees, and people on the move in promoting access to health and HIV treatment. I presented the experience of the St Charles Clinical Centre as a pioneering pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg.

The conference was organized by the ICMC (International Catholic Migration Commission), in collaboration with UNAIDS, the World Council of Churches, IOM (International Organization for Migration), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization (WHO). I shared information on the work carried out and the support given to those seeking basic health care.

“The St Charles Clinical Centre, as the work of the Catholic Church in Johannesburg, is not a parallel organization to the structures of the South African Health Department. As a Church, the clinic seeks to collaborate with the public health service. The Church must always be a collaborative force in the life of the local society, guided by the Holy Spirit; this is the purpose of the clinical centre, endowed with the spiritual inspiration of the life of Saint Charles.”

St Charles Clinical Centre heeds the pastoral motivation in Pope Francis’ words: “The migration phenomenon is not a short-term reality which must be dealt with urgency, as is always said in alarmist propaganda, but it is a daily reality of our times.” The directors of St Charles Clinic carry the following motto: “Open doors to make a difference in everyone’s life.” Migrants, refugees, and all South Africans are welcome!

Joy

Every year, on July 18th, South Africa celebrates Mandela Day. Solidarity actions and charitable activities in aid of the poorest are performed, living out the spirit of Nelson Mandela, who consistently pursued the respect of human rights for those who suffered social injustice. Mandela fought for the right of South African children to live in freedom, starting with the right to be born, free from racial discrimination.

The Clinic has a very specific mission: to be an oasis of hope.

In this spirit of solidarity, St Charles Clinic Centre organized a day of medical evaluation and testing for a group of migrant women, offering them a basic checkup. Among those who attended was a young woman, 31 years old, named Joy, a migrant from Zimbabwe. She was pregnant and about to give birth to her third child. During the assessment, one of the nurses, who works in the maternity ward of a nearby hospital, realized that something was wrong with this pregnancy.

To avoid any complications, the nurse directed Joy to the hospital and made the appropriate referrals, to secure a more appropriate medical assessment for the baby about to be born. Joy followed the nurse’s recommendations and was admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, the doctors found that the baby had already died in its mother’s womb, having been delivered too late. So, on the day commemorating Mandela’s birthday, a migrant baby was stillborn in a country where Mandela fought so hard against inequality and for universal health care access.

Women’s Health

St Charles Clinic Centre hosted a Women’s Month Event on 22 August 2024, attended by 27 women from various countries in Africa (Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa). Their ages varied from 11 to 52. The first presentation, by Dr Khulu, was on the Human Papillomavirus (HP) vaccine. HP is a common sexually transmitted infection that can affect the skin, genital area, and throat. In most cases, the immune system clears HP. Boosting public awareness and access to information and services are key to its prevention.

During the vaccination campaign, 12 females volunteered to receive the vaccination. For breast cancer awareness, Prof. Carol Benn introduced two breast cancer survivors who shared their experiences of how they dealt with their cancer.

The next challenge for St Charles Clinic Centre is to acquire an ultrasound machine for the disease diagnosis service. The Clinic has a very specific mission: to be an oasis of hope.