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Switzerland
An estimated 150,000 to 300,000 people in Switzerland – roughly two percent of the population – lack legal resident status and generally cannot afford to pay for health care. Most of these people are economic migrants, asylum seekers whose applications for asylum have been refused or people who have lost their legal resident status due to divorce or unemployment.The vast majority of migrants without legal status are uninsured and have very limited access to health care services. According to an MSF evaluation, nearly 50 percent of the people in this group never consult a medical doctor. Of those who do, many wait until they are suffering from an advanced stage of disease. Since November 2003, MSF has run a pilot medical project in the canton Fribourg. Under the name Fri-Santé, MSF runs a medical facility staffed by one nurse. Consultations at the facility are free of charge. A network of voluntary health professionals (general practitioners and medical specialists, dentists and a psychologist) and pharmacies has been established to treat patients. Depending on their financial capacity and the availability of drugs in the program's reference pharmacies, patients may be asked to contribute toward the cost of their medicines and/or treatment. During the first half of 2004, the MSF team saw 173 patients during 233 consultations. MSF is now exploring the need to replicate the Fri-Santé approach in other parts of the country. MSF has worked in Switzerland since 2003. |
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