“Doing No Harm” in an Age of Medical Repatriations: Challenges and Opportunities for Health Professionals – Juliana Morris

Juliana Morris
Harvard Medical School

How often do doctors cause harm to their patients when they discharge them from the hospital? For a sizeable group of immigrant patients who are “discharged” to their countries of origin each year, the answer may be: more often than not. The story of Quelino Ojeda Jimenez, an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, who became quadriplegic after a fall at his roofing job in Chicago, Illinois, is case in point.

News Round Up In-Brief

U.S. News

• After being confronted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, Erica Delgado, an unauthorized im/migrant living in Wyoming, set fire to her home, killing herself and her daughter. Friends commented that after her confrontation with ICE authorities, Delgado feared being separated from her daughter.
• Archeologists examine evidence of recent migration through Arizona deserts, specifically examining discarded trash and even human remains.
• The Occupied London blog reports that doctors in Greek public hospitals announced their decision to ignore the Ministry of Health’s directive and continue treating undocumented migrants.