Caring for Calais

Earlier this month I accompanied a group of student paramedics who were spending their weekend providing first aid at the refugee and migrant camp on the outskirts of Calais, France. Situated adjacent to a motorway and in the vicinity of a chemical factory, the camp is colloquially referred to as the ‘Jungle’ by outsiders, as well as those who have been forced to call it home. While semi-permanent structures made of converted shipping containers were introduced by the French Government at the beginning of the year, the vast majority of people live in makeshift shelters and tents in squalid, overcrowded conditions. Current figures estimate the number of refugees and migrants living in the area as anything between 6000 and 8000, with many more arriving each day.

Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) have provided essential medical help to refugees and migrants living in and around Calais and Dunkirk since 2003. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) have provided aid more recently and run a health clinic that is open Monday to Friday within the main Calais camp. However, there is no official system in place over the weekend. As a result, health professionals offer their time and services, providing first aid from three caravans located within the ‘Jungle’. Patients are predominantly treated for minor ailments such as colds, lice and the various coughs referred to as ‘Jungle lung’, as well as bruises, cuts and broken bones sustained from attempts at crossing the border into the UK. In the case of more serious incidents, patients are transported to an emergency department in the city.