Medics provide welcome packages for refugees attending emergency department
By Paul Reilly
Staff at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children's emergency department have partnered with Belfast-based charity Friends of Africa to help young refugees arriving in Northern Ireland.
Last December, staff noticed a rise in children attending the department who had recently arrived in the greater Belfast area and were living in temporary accommodation.
Having seen many children lacking even winter clothing, staff wanted to provide emergency supplies to try and alleviate some of the pressures on their families.
"It was very upsetting for us to see these children and these families, so we decided that we wanted to do something about that," says Dr Niamh Murphy, a paediatrics trainee.
"So myself and Dr Waterfield, who is a consultant in Children's ED, we wanted to come up with something practical.
"So we came up with backpacks and I made six to begin with. And these included basic supplies. So things like toiletries and hats and gloves and scarves and they were met with really positive feedback."
Friends of Africa has provided the funding for more backpacks with more than 50 now having been distributed.
Dr Claire McGinn, who is also a paediatrics trainee, has a long association with the charity.
"Whenever I've been in the hospital and given the backpacks, what I find is often you're talking to these and families late at night," says Dr McGinn.
"English isn't their first language, and you're chatting through a phone interpreter.
"But once you hand over that backpack, you notice the parents start to understand that you're there to help."
Dr McGinn says an important part of building that relationship is that young people and their families feel encouraged to engage with the health service.
The medics and Friends of Africa are now trying to secure more funding so they can expand the backpacks project.