Medecins du Monde emergency response during the Covid-19 pandemic for prevention and treatment was defined by a difficult period of very strict health measures, including 2 general lockdowns. The result of these was the formation of a very unpleasant reality, both for the Greek economy and for the majority of socially vulnerable groups. Especially for the beneficiaries of MdM, such as the homeless, Roma communities, poor households, asylum seekers and migrants.
ACTION
Building on the significant support of the Hellenic Initiative of Canada, MdM-Greece provided medical and psychosocial support to socially and economically vulnerable, lonely elderly people who were already registered in the organization’s register of beneficiaries and were temporarily confined to their homes due to restrictive measures for the protection of public health. At the same time new beneficiaries were registered in cooperation with municipal services and other non-governmental agencies in different municipalities of Attica and Central Macedonia.
The pandemic action consists of two main pillars:
- Home help with door-to-door visits
- Prevention and distance counsellingς
For this reason, 12 health and psychosocial support professionals remained available daily from 09:00 to 19:00 for distance counselling and support through the new telecommunication media.
The number of beneficiaries receiving psychosocial and medical support during the reporting period was 823. The teams for MdM-Greece assistance activities were composed of a social worker, a doctor, a psychologist and a nurse who carried out more than 505 door-to-door visits and 323 beneficiaries received free pharmaceutical assistance. At the same time, the teams also carried out the filling of electronic prescriptions in cooperation and following appropriate referrals from the social services of municipalities (Athens, Perama, Keratsini, Thessaloniki, etc.). In the same period, 565 psychosocial sessions and 442 medical sessions were carried out.
