refugee health alliance

Narratives of atrocity from the border have been on a repeat cycle through our media channels. Ongoing political and cultural wars in Central America have forced families to flee North in efforts to escape violence, poverty, and persecution. These individuals come to the U.S.' borders seeking asylum. Under the Trump administration, Homeland Security has placed a limit to the number of asylum cases processed each day in Tijuana. The current policy of “catch-and-release" sends asylum seekers back to Tijuana to await asylum after their initial hearing. Waiting can be any interval of time from months to years. Currently, many of those who are being denied refuge are living in tents in a baseball field in the center of Tijuana. 

We hear about these stories of outright violations of human rights and our heart strings pull for these families, individuals, children. We wonder how we can fight back against these injustices. What can we contribute in a time when inaction speaks volumes?

How do we let those who are in limbo know that they are not forgotten? 

The Refugee Health Alliances  provides healthcare to these vulnerable populations seeking asylum along the border. Services included comprehensive primary care, acute care, prenatal care, harm reduction, integrative trans care and more -- all free of charge. The clinic is the largest charity healthcare provider to migrants in Tijuana with the exception of the Mexican government. It operates solely on donations, largely small scale donations of $10, $20, $50 from friends of the clinic. All medical care provided is done on a volunteer basis; nurses, EMTs, MDs, and CHWs from both sides of the border offering their time and skills. 

The idea of a clinic that is funded on small scale donations, supported by qualified volunteers, and that manages to provide quality medical care free of charge may sound unsustainable, improbable.

And yet RHA's doors have been continuously open since 2018. It is a point of stability that the community has come to rely on. 

Our ask is not glamorous. We are asking for donations so that we can purchase the day to day supplies needed for RHA to operate. Supplies like chucks, lice combs, and feminine hygiene products. The work that is being done at RHA is not beautiful; it is holding pressure to a wound that is all too human and lacks a clear remedy. The future of the border is uncertain. The status of the fundamental rights of these asylum seekers is uncertain. What is certain is that your donation will be utilized with clear intention and a direct impact to provide dignified, high quality medicare to a community that is hurting. Your donation means that RHA is able to provide high quality medical care to individuals who have been told that their rights are secondary and that their lives can wait. 

We are three APRN students from the Yale School of Nursing who will be travelling this March to Tijuana to provide primary care, prenatal care, and whatever else we’re able to offer. We will be working under our professor, Ronica Mukerjee , a Family Nurse Practitioner who epitomizes radical, queer medical care done right and with intention. She has been clear in emphasizing to us that this is not voluntourism or a pat on the back for ourselves. This work, under her guidance, focuses on honoring and empowering communities in a way that is rarely seen in the medical field. 

We are paying for our own flights and accommodations. We are not seeking to be compensated for our time. We are asking for your donations for supplies for RHA that can be purchased cheaply in bulk in the United States. Supplies that we will be physically bringing with us to the clinic so that they can be used right away. 100% of the money collected through this GoFundMe will go towards purchasing supplies needed by the clinic. A list of these supplies can be found here .

Special thanks to Plastic Tree Productions https://www.plastictreeproductions.com/ for creating this video for us to help showcase the work we are doing.
Photo credit: Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images

Abhorrent conditions in Central American countries have continued to force migrants north to Tijuana to escape trauma and persecution. Concurrently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has enacted a limit to the number of asylum cases processed each day in Tijuana to around 10-50 and has applied “catch-and-release policy" that sends asylum seekers back down to Tijuana to await asylum after their initial hearing. As a result, health crises continue to propagate in already crowded shelters and camps with thousands of migrants seeking refuge.

In response to multiple communities escaping violence, poverty, and discrimination, the Refugee Health Alliance (RHA) was created to help mobilize Southern California providers and their networks down to the Tijuana/San Diego international border to aid in the refugee crisis.

It has since evolved into an extensive network of providers, volunteers, and students who travel to Tijuana everyday to provide medical care to vulnerable population at several of the refugee shelters found throughout the city and local clinics. Supported by crowdsource funding, RHA has enabled the purchase of medications and equipment to provide essential medical care to every individual in need.

Refugee Health Alliance had previously supported a clinic at an autonomous community space called Enclave Caracol where asylum seekers also could come to receive free meals and legal support. In September of 2019  the “Weekday Clinic” transitioned to Prevencasa, a well established harm reduction clinic in Zona Norte that has been working for years with vulnerable patient populations. This clinic is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and is typically staffed by 2-5 volunteers. The clinic treats approximately 10-30 patients each day and has access to basic labs, imaging, and specialty referrals. If necessary, we also subsidize the hospitalization of critically ill migrants. Since our inception in November 2018, approximately 7,000 patient consultations have been completed and the clinic has become the largest charity healthcare provider to the migrants and the shelters in Tijuana, with the exception of the Mexican government.

Our focus is not exclusive to medical treatment. We also support provision of mental health services in the form of psychological consultations and group support to vulnerable subsets of the population including unaccompanied minors and LGBT members. Services also include recreational therapy sessions, which have included activities like art and yoga to promote psychological and physical well being. Lastly, we work with closely with lawyers to produce documentation for migrants in preparation for their asylum process.

Every Saturday, at overcrowded shelters throughout Tijuana, we support mobile clinics for those who are unable to travel to Prevencasa. Clinical teams of 15 -35 physicians, nurses, EMTs and other medical volunteers typically see between 80-160 patients every Saturday. Higher acuity are then referred to local hospitals or for follow up at the clinic in Prevencasa. 

Because there remains a tremendous need, our work is only limited by resources and volunteers. We would like to kindly ask for your donations to continue this grassroots effort to provide medical aid and support to asylum seekers. Your donations will go towards items on our needs list, medications, laboratory testing and imaging, rent, and transportation. Direct donations for these goods are also welcome.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1U1BouD6cNzJcP6Rxk3OqbFdDmJdW_NMilmtdLDBPVRI

If you would like to volunteer with us please fill out this form.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6HGtE4e6BNAefK9BllRt5E-C8YeMbB-K5Da9u3zK1L3NRUw/viewform

For questions or requests please contact: [email redacted]

In solidarity,

Refugee  Health Alliance