“Just a Short Walk Away”: Focus on Health Care Services for IDPs in Debaga Camp

The clinic at Debaga Camp for internally displaced persons is the main healthcare provider in the camp. Primary health care services, chronic disease management, as well as emergency services such as ambulatory referrals are all possible via the clinic. On average, the health center receives about 150 - 200 daily visits by patients, not only from among the 7,500 camp residents, but also from its surrounding villages – ensuring services that the IDPs and host community can rely on for life-saving care.

Hassan Hamza Mohammed, 56, has been living in Debaga camp since 2015, after his family was displaced during the conflict with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). 

I believe living in such adversity has taken a toll on my health; I suffer from diabetes, hypertension, and blood vessels disorder. I had open-heart surgery in 2020 because four of my blood vessels were blocked. I’ve been living with those chronic illnesses since 2000.

Previously, I traveled to Erbil once a month to pick-up a month’s worth of medications from a public medical center there. But since we arrived in Debaga camp, I don’t need to travel anywhere to get the medicine; the health center here provides me with all the medications I need for free. They also perform tests in the center to monitor [patients’] conditions, and if they can’t run a specific test, they give you a referral paper and you can then do the tests for free in Debaga Hospital.

At first, the camp felt like a prison, but now I don’t feel like I’m a displaced person; all the services are available here. In addition, if I suddenly feel unwell, I don’t need to go out of the camp to reach a doctor; the health center is open 24/7 with a healthcare provider always present. They also have an ambulance for emergency cases. It is very reassuring, and it makes me relieved that the health center is just short a walk away from my house.”