MEDU

Why so happy and smiling?  The metro had shut down b/c of a strike, but it reopened from 5 till 8pm...just enough time so that we could take the metro downtown to visit the MEDU traveling clinic and we didn't have to drive in all that traffic!

MEDU has a medical traveling van that is operated 2x/week in the evenings from 7 to 10pm.  We visited this one just outside of Termini station.  The beneficiaries are refugees as well as the homeless.  The refugee influx is seasonal.  Winter time is slower.  A surge happens spring/summer.  There second location is Piazza Spadolini where the clientele is almost exclusively migrants/refugees.

The MEDU volunteers and medical team in front of their van.  LDS Charities has been one of the many charitable organizations to help keep this medical unit operating.  The girl with the yellow scarf is also Anita and she is the coordinator of the mobile clinic.  One of the volunteers was also Anita.  Then me.  Three of us!

 

Brother and Sister Healy in the midst of intense training in our temporary apartment.  There is much to learn, and one part of the job is huge amounts of documentation and filling out forms and requests, etc.

The MEDU psyche clinic.  We met with this amazing team today.  The champion of this organization is Alberto (center with blue sweater).  The others are Doctors and Francesca (seated) is an intern.  Toune is a translator (2nd from right)

There is only one consultation room. They desperately need more consultation rooms and hope to be able to get a larger place soon.   LDS charities is helping out with many other organizations to keep this clinic operating.  

Cool poster of Toune Abdoulaye.  He is from the Ivory Coast and came to Italy 7 years ago.  Through the system that is set up by the government here in Italy, he has progressed to the point where he is fluent in the language (as well as a couple more languages).  He is working with MEDU not only as an employee but also as a volunteer.  He is a great testimonial that it is worth the effort.  He is very grateful and wants to help others..

The psyche clinic is downtown Rome.  Here is Alberto who is the General Coordinator with two of the Doctors.

A pharmacy is in the cupboard behind this desk and is run by a volunteer.  Here is one of the Doctors making follow up calls.

Tom and Toune really hit it off.  Toune hopes to find more space for his psycho/social activities (music).  I think they are talking guitars and drums!  The clinic uses sensory motor therapy in a framework of a cognitive therapy approach.

Their paperwork must be accurate and thorough and must be mountains high for their innumberable clients.  The refugees are referred to MEDU from the Government operated Reception Centers.  MEDU is operating with a one month waiting list.  The average age is 23/24 years.  Mostly from Sub-Sahara, but also Asia, Afghanistan, etc.  The majority of migrant routes are through Libya.  180,000 refugees into Italy last year (2016).  60,000 asked for asylum and are hosted in reception centers.  90% are victims of torture.  Italy is focused on political refugees.  The total of refugees sent to Rome that are living in camps are between 8 and 9,000.  

This was a most interesting visit.  MEDU is accomplishing amazing things and we are thrilled to be assisting in a small part.  The cycle that the refugee experiences:  isolation, depression, nothing to do, nothing to hope for in the future.  These organizations help to break that cycle and offer hands on help.  We were very impressed.  MEDU has several sources of revenue:  Donors, government, charitable organizations such as LDS Charities.  MEDU has an integrated clinical work and psycho/social work.  At this psyche clinic I was impressed that they use a narrative approach because it is culturally understood by patients:  able to give words to emotions.  They integrate with mindfulness.  There were other approaches they use as well (CBT) but most of this medical discussion was not in my vocabulary!