Mohammed Adem suffered kidney failure while working as an irregular migrant in Sanaa, Yemen in 2018, forcing him to return聽to聽Ethiopia. He was supported by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa, which also organized his medical treatment as part of his reintegration聽process.
Mohammed now needs regular dialysis to stay alive.聽And,聽thanks to a new partnership between the EU-IOM Joint Initiative and St. Paul鈥檚 Hospital Millennium Medical Collage, he聽now聽can access life-saving treatment. The partnership聽allows聽migrant returnees with medical聽to receive聽treatment at St. Paul鈥檚聽at no cost. Before,聽IOM referred returnees to various private hospitals.聽聽聽
鈥淚 had to spend聽close to $3,500,聽all the money I earned from working at a vegetable farm,聽to get treatment in Yemen.聽I was left with nothing,鈥� Mohammed explained. 鈥淢y聽friends told me about IOM and the support I聽could get.鈥澛犅�
To access dialysis treatment Mohammed has had聽to聽stay at IOM鈥檚 Transit Centre in Addis Ababa, where he has been for over a year. Co-funded by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative, the centre provides temporary accommodation, meals, counselling, and assists returnees聽going聽back to their communities of origin.聽聽
Such support is crucial for Mohammed and others like him. He comes from a community over 150km from Addis Ababa where there no dialysis treatment聽is available. Where dialysis is available, the treatment is unaffordable for most Ethiopians in similar situations, costing over USD聽1,200 per month.聽聽
Which means migrant returnees with access to free medical treatment from St. Paul鈥檚 Hospital is a boon. Since March 2017, the EU-IOM Joint Initiative has provided basic medical assistance to some 1,500 returnees at the Addis Ababa transit centre. More than 260 returnees with severe medical conditions were referred to specialised hospitals.聽聽
The hospital has faced shortages during the COVID-19 outbreak.聽
鈥淥ur stock was very limited, lasting for only two weeks. St. Paul鈥檚 Hospital was established to serve the underserved community and this partnership is a perfect fit to respond to migrant returnees with medical needs,鈥� said the hospital鈥檚聽director,聽Dr聽Wondimagegn聽Gezahegn.聽
A donation聽made to St. Pauls Hospital聽of medical consumables worth over聽USD聽21,000聽has strengthened the institution at a time when it suffers聽from supply chain disruptions聽due聽to the COVID-19 epidemic.聽
Mohammed and others like him feel fortunate to be getting care. But more resources are required聽to meet the medical needs of returning migrants, particularly in the face of COVID-19.聽IOM in the region is appealing for USD71.6 million鈥痶o meet the needs of migrants affected by COVID-19, including health requirements.
