Spectrum of Humanitarian Assistance Interventions in Acute Physiotherapy and Nursing Refugee Health Unit (Original research)

Abstract

Background A new refugee wave, however much less populated, has been observed after major exodus of Syrian and Iraqi victims of war, reaching about 40% in 2017 of the original reports in 2016-2018. The aim of this short communication was to describe the spectrum of required humanitarian assistance for migrants and refugees from the Middle East transiting Bosnia to the Schengen spaces of Slovenia and Italy. Patients and Methods We have actively searched for "wild type" refugee or migrant camps in North Bosnia and analyzed types and spectrum of interventions provided by our field team, which consisted of one Doctor, two Nurses and one Social Worker. We have served around 50-100 patients a day. Results The commonest nursing and physiotherapy diagnosis was known - PTSD (posttraumatic stress syndrome) - due to war events; loss of relatives; insecurity of travel results and asylum process procedures; and represented 80 percent and more of all presentations, in addition to other somatic disorders. Conclusions Complex and quality Health and Social Care is highly demanded in this populations, mainly due to the complex conditions and PTSD. Organized action and cooperation between NGOs, Academia, Health Care students, Social Workers, etc. and local governance bodies in a divided state should be mandatory, however achievement is not always easy.