Mizzima-Oct 6
On 2 October, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Penang, Malaysia, issued a press release stating they are providing medical, mental health, and humanitarian assistance to refugees, the majority of whom are Rohingya from Myanmar. They emphasized the ongoing risks faced by the Rohingya “wherever we go, whether it’s in Myanmar, Thailand, or Malaysia.” Malaysia hosts approximately 200,000 stateless Rohingya people. They generally live in urban settings and among local communities, without legal status. While UNHCR registration offers some protection, their lack of rights leaves them exposed to extortion, exploitation, arrests and detention. This means that Rohingya have limited access to health care and education, and no access to formal employment. For many, this situation has dragged on for years. The Rohingya people who manage to reach Malaysia via perilous boat journeys from Myanmar or Bangladesh still face various barriers in accessing medical care and protection once arriving in the country. “Most of the patients who come here have mental health issues,” says Dr. Sayshadrry Kumaraguru of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who works at the Klinik Mewah 6 clinic in Butterworth, Penang state. MSF teams provide primary health care and mental support care at this clinic, focusing mainly on women and children.In addition to mental health issues, many people suffer from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and measles. Vaccines against these diseases are available for Malaysians, but only under certain conditions for non-Malaysians, and are rarely free to obtain. What’s more, people who are not registered with UNHCR tend to hide out of fear of being arrested and detained. “As a result, they are unable to receive vaccinations, and infections are spreading in the overcrowded living conditions,” Dr. Kumaraguru says. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2024/10/06/14753
