L'utilité d'organisations comme médecins sans frontières

« Médecin Sans Frontières »

«  Médecins Sans Frontières » has always held some sort of fascination for me, it is extraordinary that normal doctors would commit to such a difficult and dangerous job to only gain a tenth of their previous salary and help people in need, they put themselves after the patient. The dangers are a serious factor to consider, they do always send doctors where they are most needed; conflicted zones and zones that were affected by natural disasters. What is intriguing is the fact that they do not take part in any governmental matters, they wish to not be influenced by the government’s funding. They were in opposition to the policies and laws against the refugees and migrants and their attempts to push people away from Europe. In 2015 MSF started a search and rescue operation in the Central Mediterranean because tens of thousands of migrants embark on journeys through the Mediterranean to Europe. They are calling on European governments to shift priorities, rather than pushing migrants away from Europe, they should maximise the number they welcome.

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international, independent, humanitarian medical organisation that doesn’t involve the government. They bring medical assistance to victims of conflict, natural disasters or epidemics. Médecins Sans Frontières is funded by private donors, they provide approximately 90% of the organisation’s funding, they have an annual budget of over $1.6billion. The money was well spent, in fact, 57% of it was spent in Africa. Their organisation was founded in France in 1971 by a group of doctors and journalists who found out about the famine in Biafra, Nigeria. They wanted to establish an independent organisation that focused on delivering emergency medical aid effectively. At first 300 volunteers made up the organisation, they were doctors, nurses and other staff from around the world. Their first mission was in 1972, in Managua, Nicaragua, an earthquake killed 30’000 people. In 1999, MSF is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2011 they were registered in Switzerland. Their working principles are very simple, impartiality, independence, neutrality, bearing witness and transparency. In only 2017, the organisation consulted 10’648’300 patients, 749’700 patients were admitted, they helped 288’900 women give birth and rescued 23’900 migrants and refugees. They work to save lives, without taking into account their race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Therefore, they do not accept funds from governments or other parties who are involved in conflicts to which MSF is responding.

We can only ask ourselves questions about what it is like working with MSF, what are the living conditions? How are safety and security handled in the field? Do international field staff get paid? Why are people ready to commit? What are the benefits of participating? What can someone expect to do as a physician on an assignment? What are the basic criteria for someone who is interested in applying?

Sources:

nobelprize.org

msf.org

universalis.fr

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