FREEDOM - RESTRICTION STATEMENT
Ahmad and us.
Ahmad is a 20 years old Syrian, born and raised in Idlib, near Aleppo.
He was diagnosed with bone-cancer a year ago. While in Syria, it was impossible for any treatment to be implemented, since many hospitals have been bombarded and those still standing have minimum to zero resources to fight against such a disease.
TURKEY
Ahmad reached Turkey through the only known, murderous route, the smuggler’s one, accompanied by two of his relatives. One of them, Ziad, is a 37 year old diabetic, has limited sight from one eye and none from the other and cannot walk due to peripheral neuropathy.
In Turkey, Ahmad with his two relatives have tried to reach out to hospitals several times, but to no avail, so, apart from some extra assessment exams he didn’t receive any medical treatment.
From there, he continued his journey towards Europe; a place that may not always be linked directly with the bombings of Ahmad’s country but is an associate in its destruction, looking forward to profit from its future re-establishment.
Chios
Ahmad arrived in Chios, on the 11th of September 2016. He could still walk at that time.
During their arrival, sea-rescuers in solidarity (not Frontex or the hellenic coast guard ), escorted them to the hospital due to Ahmad suffering horrible pain. It was in the hospital where they told him that nothing could be done for him. Afterwards they were all shown the way towards Vial registration point.
Responsible for Vial are the UNHCR, the Greek police, Praksis NGO, with the Red Cross as a ground associate. They were registered there, and Praksis NGO signed his medical card, adding the note that he is a terminal-cancer patient.
Following their arrival in Vial, the vasque solidarians pressured the UNHCR to provide the three refugees with a hotel room, as the law dictates. This demand was opposed by the Vial camp managers who argued that the trio should remain within camp premises. Eventually, they were transferred to a hotel, a service funded by the UNHCR, whose official associate for medical treatment is WAHA NGO.
According to the law:
“Reception and Registration centers and the mobile units as well, are structured in functional distinctive divisions [...] c) division of medical check and psychosocial support.” (article 13, par. 1 N.4375/2016)
“Create a medical record envelope which gets to the organisation responsible for the case through the Center’s director [...] In any case, continuation of medical treatmend - where it is of importance - has to be ensured.” ( article 14, par 8)
On the 14th of September 2016, the General Hospital of Chios issued a written reference directed towards the Greek police, in order to highlight the need for a transfer.
On the 27th of September 2016, the Greek police signed the order for Ahmad’s transfer to an Athens’ hospital. Due to the order’s terms, Ahmad would reside within Attica, up to the point where he wouldn’t need medical treatment any more. Also, he would then have to return to Chios’ hosting structures.
From the 14th of Sept. till his departure from Chios on the 10th of October, they were still living in a hotel room, lacking any kind of medical assistance and care. For Ahmad, his only ally in his battle against the pain was a box of paracetamol.
WAHA NGO - which was responsible for the coverage of medical needs in the hospital, visited the refugees just twice since they were only contractually obliged to.
Through this period of time Ahmad and Ziad were left medically unattended.
Despite the constant calls from the solidarians to every direction, none of the employed, designated governmental or “humanitarian” agencies provided Ahmad with his palliative care. There were also serious consequences as a result of the delay in the transfer to Athens. During his stay in Chios, Ahmad lost all mobility and sensation in the lower limbs, particularly from the chest- down.
During his stay in this room, Ahmad became paralytic and numb.
Vasque solidarians in Chios, having daily contact with the refugees in the hotel room while exercising pressure towards all directions, made a request to the Red Cross for the acceleration of the transfer. The answer they received on the 4th of Oct. 2016 was negative
They had already contacted NoBorders in Athens who, on the 3rd of Oct. started to exercise pressure for the transfer as wel.
On the 7th of Oct, after many requests from the solidarians both from Chios and Athens, an ambulance took Ahmad to Chios hospital, where he was hospitalised for 3 days.
ATHENS
On the 10th of Oct. 2016, Ahmad and his relatives travelled towards Athens by ferry, without being escorted by a doctor and having only an un-signed medical note, which did not contain an accurate depiction of Ahmad’s medical record and status. According to this medical note, he was then referred to the Thorax Surgery Clinic of KAT ( K.A.T equals Restoration Center for the Injured and it is a general hospital ) instead of going directly to an Oncology clinic.
With the help of the excellent Doctors (and Humans) at KAT’s clinic, Ahmad was transferred within the day to Agios Savvas Hospital (a Cancer-treatment and Oncology facility).
From the 11th of Oct. till now, Ahmad has been hospitalised in Ag.Savvas and fights, in ways that only he can know. Next to him, stands the brilliant medical and treatment staff from the hospital, the “Syrian House in Greece”. And we.
We, that don’t speak his language. We, who communicate our love, support and rage through our eyes. We, who from the 11th of Oct 2016 stand beside one another. One of us. It is us lying in this bed.
RAGE
Words thrown around in heaps, sensitive and fragile groups, people of concern, acceleration of procedures, medical sensibility, schedules and operational plans from well-paid, international and non-governmental organisations, the state and its affiliates. Words that create another catastrophe; the only possible outcome of these words.
Who is responsible for Ahmad being thrown in a hospital bed, hurting for almost a month? Does this person have a name? Do these papers contain names in a readable way? These references?
Law dictates that such a sensitive case should be referred towards reception centers in the mainland. That the continuation of his medical treatment should be ensured, and that cases like this should be excluded from the general law about borders ( article 60 N.4375/2016 ) since it concerns a patient that has either a disability or is ill due to serious or incurable disease. (article 14 par. 8. , N.4375/2016 ).
Who is responsible for the fact that Ahmad was paralysed 23 days before he managed to reach Athens and while he was in Chios without any monitoring for his transfer? Who denied him the right to fight for his life while standing on two legs?
According to the state’s actions, the only choice given to the ones seriously ill is death or - if they manage - the return to a detention facility, freedom deprivation and, most probably, deportation.
Ahmad isn’t just a registration digit, to be processed within the humanitarian logistics of governmental or non- governmental organisations. Neither is he a tool to be used for advertising.
For all of us, standing in solidarity with refugees and migrants, open borders and free, total access to healthcare are the only way.
War, death from drowning, poverty, rescues, closed borders, suffocation and detention, illegalisation of movement, deportations, push-backs, riots, psychological problems, dead ends.
Those words accompany our everyday life and our action since we started living alongside the refugees. Those responsible do not hide any more; they are everywhere.
And they will find us standing against them no matter how glamorous or frightening the mask they wear is.
Ahmad, 20 years old. Our Ahmad.
https://www.facebook.com/nobordersnetwork/posts/1188125057922051Ahmad and us.
Ahmad is a 20 years old Syrian, born and raised in Idlib, near Aleppo.
He was diagnosed with bone-cancer a year ago. While in Syria, it was impossible for any treatment to be implemented, since many hospitals have been bombarded and those still standing have minimum to zero resources to fight against such a disease.
TURKEY
Ahmad reached Turkey through the only known, murderous route, the smuggler’s one, accompanied by two of his relatives. One of them, Ziad, is a 37 year old diabetic, has limited sight from one eye and none from the other and cannot walk due to peripheral neuropathy.
In Turkey, Ahmad with his two relatives have tried to reach out to hospitals several times, but to no avail, so, apart from some extra assessment exams he didn’t receive any medical treatment.
From there, he continued his journey towards Europe; a place that may not always be linked directly with the bombings of Ahmad’s country but is an associate in its destruction, looking forward to profit from its future re-establishment.
Chios
Ahmad arrived in Chios, on the 11th of September 2016. He could still walk at that time.
During their arrival, sea-rescuers in solidarity (not Frontex or the hellenic coast guard ), escorted them to the hospital due to Ahmad suffering horrible pain. It was in the hospital where they told him that nothing could be done for him. Afterwards they were all shown the way towards Vial registration point.
Responsible for Vial are the UNHCR, the Greek police, Praksis NGO, with the Red Cross as a ground associate. They were registered there, and Praksis NGO signed his medical card, adding the note that he is a terminal-cancer patient.
Following their arrival in Vial, the vasque solidarians pressured the UNHCR to provide the three refugees with a hotel room, as the law dictates. This demand was opposed by the Vial camp managers who argued that the trio should remain within camp premises. Eventually, they were transferred to a hotel, a service funded by the UNHCR, whose official associate for medical treatment is WAHA NGO.
According to the law:
“Reception and Registration centers and the mobile units as well, are structured in functional distinctive divisions [...] c) division of medical check and psychosocial support.” (article 13, par. 1 N.4375/2016)
“Create a medical record envelope which gets to the organisation responsible for the case through the Center’s director [...] In any case, continuation of medical treatmend - where it is of importance - has to be ensured.” ( article 14, par 8)
On the 14th of September 2016, the General Hospital of Chios issued a written reference directed towards the Greek police, in order to highlight the need for a transfer.
On the 27th of September 2016, the Greek police signed the order for Ahmad’s transfer to an Athens’ hospital. Due to the order’s terms, Ahmad would reside within Attica, up to the point where he wouldn’t need medical treatment any more. Also, he would then have to return to Chios’ hosting structures.
From the 14th of Sept. till his departure from Chios on the 10th of October, they were still living in a hotel room, lacking any kind of medical assistance and care. For Ahmad, his only ally in his battle against the pain was a box of paracetamol.
WAHA NGO - which was responsible for the coverage of medical needs in the hospital, visited the refugees just twice since they were only contractually obliged to.
Through this period of time Ahmad and Ziad were left medically unattended.
Despite the constant calls from the solidarians to every direction, none of the employed, designated governmental or “humanitarian” agencies provided Ahmad with his palliative care. There were also serious consequences as a result of the delay in the transfer to Athens. During his stay in Chios, Ahmad lost all mobility and sensation in the lower limbs, particularly from the chest- down.
During his stay in this room, Ahmad became paralytic and numb.
Vasque solidarians in Chios, having daily contact with the refugees in the hotel room while exercising pressure towards all directions, made a request to the Red Cross for the acceleration of the transfer. The answer they received on the 4th of Oct. 2016 was negative
They had already contacted NoBorders in Athens who, on the 3rd of Oct. started to exercise pressure for the transfer as wel.
On the 7th of Oct, after many requests from the solidarians both from Chios and Athens, an ambulance took Ahmad to Chios hospital, where he was hospitalised for 3 days.
ATHENS
On the 10th of Oct. 2016, Ahmad and his relatives travelled towards Athens by ferry, without being escorted by a doctor and having only an un-signed medical note, which did not contain an accurate depiction of Ahmad’s medical record and status. According to this medical note, he was then referred to the Thorax Surgery Clinic of KAT ( K.A.T equals Restoration Center for the Injured and it is a general hospital ) instead of going directly to an Oncology clinic.
With the help of the excellent Doctors (and Humans) at KAT’s clinic, Ahmad was transferred within the day to Agios Savvas Hospital (a Cancer-treatment and Oncology facility).
From the 11th of Oct. till now, Ahmad has been hospitalised in Ag.Savvas and fights, in ways that only he can know. Next to him, stands the brilliant medical and treatment staff from the hospital, the “Syrian House in Greece”. And we.
We, that don’t speak his language. We, who communicate our love, support and rage through our eyes. We, who from the 11th of Oct 2016 stand beside one another. One of us. It is us lying in this bed.
RAGE
Words thrown around in heaps, sensitive and fragile groups, people of concern, acceleration of procedures, medical sensibility, schedules and operational plans from well-paid, international and non-governmental organisations, the state and its affiliates. Words that create another catastrophe; the only possible outcome of these words.
Who is responsible for Ahmad being thrown in a hospital bed, hurting for almost a month? Does this person have a name? Do these papers contain names in a readable way? These references?
Law dictates that such a sensitive case should be referred towards reception centers in the mainland. That the continuation of his medical treatment should be ensured, and that cases like this should be excluded from the general law about borders ( article 60 N.4375/2016 ) since it concerns a patient that has either a disability or is ill due to serious or incurable disease. (article 14 par. 8. , N.4375/2016 ).
Who is responsible for the fact that Ahmad was paralysed 23 days before he managed to reach Athens and while he was in Chios without any monitoring for his transfer? Who denied him the right to fight for his life while standing on two legs?
According to the state’s actions, the only choice given to the ones seriously ill is death or - if they manage - the return to a detention facility, freedom deprivation and, most probably, deportation.
Ahmad isn’t just a registration digit, to be processed within the humanitarian logistics of governmental or non- governmental organisations. Neither is he a tool to be used for advertising.
For all of us, standing in solidarity with refugees and migrants, open borders and free, total access to healthcare are the only way.
War, death from drowning, poverty, rescues, closed borders, suffocation and detention, illegalisation of movement, deportations, push-backs, riots, psychological problems, dead ends.
Those words accompany our everyday life and our action since we started living alongside the refugees. Those responsible do not hide any more; they are everywhere.
And they will find us standing against them no matter how glamorous or frightening the mask they wear is.
Ahmad, 20 years old. Our Ahmad.
www.facebook.com NoBorders. 15,753 likes · 486 talking about this. No human being is illegal #refugeesGr |
