Health centers in refugee camps are busy places – there’s often not enough staff to support everyone who needs care. And at Bidi Bidi, at one particularly busy clinic, the team had to think creatively to get the job done. And that meant moving their care outside the clinic’s walls – in the open. With very little privacy.
“I think about my wife being examined in an open space like this,” said Joseph, an ARC team member. “With no privacy at all. If she came here she would not be comfortable in this space – not unless she feels like there’s some privacy.”
Moved to do something about this, Joseph and the team decided they could make a difference.
We can’t make the health center larger – or at least not easily – but we could purchase partitions. Partitions are a quick way to add some privacy for people who are in pain and sick.
“Now,” said Joseph, “the people here will have that privacy they need. A medical exam is supposed to be private. We all need that privacy.”
When you’re feeling at your most vulnerable, when you’re sick and feeling down, the last thing you want is to feel exposed – like your dignity is being taken away. It’s not perfect – there’s still work to be done – but these partitions will help restore that dignity to people who are seeking some care from us. Who will appreciate an extra step toward making them feel comfortable.
