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New Medical Equipment Helps Refugees to Integrate into Local Community

Dushanbe, Tajikistan. February 8, 2010. On January 29, 2010, UNHCR Representative in Tajikistan Ilija Todorovic participated in the ceremony of handing medical equipment to the local hospital in Vahdat. Medical equipment was provided to the hospital based on assessment undertaken by UNHCR in cooperation with NGO Fidokor, and US Embassy in Tajikistan.

Assessment of needs started in September 2009 and the main goal was to identify the most efficient way of providing assistance to the medical center in Vahdat. Representatives of the NGO Fidokor studied the health situation in Vahdat in close consultation with the hospital and reviewed their needs. Through participatory assessment and regular communication with UNHCR and its partners, refugees shared that health needs are most serious and urgent as they affect the wellbeing as well as psychological condition of the family. To support the local hospital in Vahdat, it was decided to provide a gastro-scope which will help with diagnosis of gastrointestinal problems, and reviving apparatus for children up to the age of 14 which is necessary for artificial pulmonary ventilation during surgery operation. Procured in Japan and Germany, the total cost of the equipment amounted to $ 16,500 USD.

Vahdat, which in Tajik language means "Unity", is a town, close to Dushanbe, where most of afghan refugees and asylum seekers reside. Often specialized medical care and in particular examination can only be offered in Dushanbe, which takes money, time and effort. The local Vahdat hospital was not always able to provide for treatment or examination for some particular cases due to lack of adequate equipment. "We are happy that we will not need to spend time traveling to Dushanbe and urgent help can be provided to our children here in Vahdat", said Favziya, Afghan refugee woman.

This equipment allowed solving health problems for asylum seekers and refugees without leaving Vahdat. Moreover, the equipment is being used by local population, which will promote breeding tolerance to asylum seekers and refugees and allow them to integrate into the local community.
In addition, NGO Fidokor conducted three trainings on healthy life style. Professional trainers spoke to refugees about HIV/AIDS, drug addiction as well as family planning issues. The training was conducted separately for women, men and youth. Special booklets on healthy life style translated into Dari and provided to Vahdat population. US Embassy in Tajikistan provided targeted funds for refugee related activities in order to support them to integrate into local community. Thus, in 2008 three schools in Dushanbe where the majority of refugee children study were renovated. Fidokor together with the city education department identified the schools with the highest number of refugee students and with school direction assessed the needs of the schools. In one school all sanitation system was renovated, in two other schools assistances was addressed to renovation of the roof. Such targeted assistance was highly welcomed by the school management as they were not able to cover all the important needs of the school. UNHCR and its partners will continue to explore other opportunities to address the needs of the refugee population taking into account the interests of the hosting community.