27 him waiting almost four weeks for a doctor’s appointment in the local hospital. Others 3. Concerns Over Quality of Healthcare reported waiting times up to two months for an Even when individuals in the PRDC were able to appointment at the public hospital, while Lana overcome the numerous barriers and make an shared with Equal Rights that she did not even appointment with the doctor in the public know the procedure for asking for a doctor. hospital, participants voiced concerns that they 2. Lack of interpreters were not receiving quality healthcare. Of the During the first edition of this report, there was only one Sorani interpreter working in the PRDC even though most individuals detained were Arabic or French speakers.51 When the second edition was published in February 2023, there were zero in-house interpreters and only a telephone service available.52 During this reporting period, there remained zero in-house interpreters in the Kos PRDC. Therefore, even if individuals in the PRDC were able to access a doctor or healthcare professional, a lack of interpretation served as an additional barrier in accessing quality healthcare. participants that were able to access the doctor, five participants shared their concerns regarding the quality of treatment. Ali shared an experience where he visited multiple doctors: “The last doctor would check the illness on Google to see what treatment you needed. There was no official treatment.” Concerns over quality healthcare are the reason others do not seek treatment at all. Maher explained, “My friend who is Egyptian said the doctor treated him on Google. Why would I try to go and be treated by a doctor who used Google?” Adam echoed this statement, saying, “The other detainees sometimes ask for a doctor, but they do not get any This year, at least four participants interviewed attention...I have a pain in my head, but I’m afraid mentioned a lack of interpretation as a factor to see the doctor. People say that they are getting that impeded their ability to access healthcare. worse when they see the nurse or doctor”. Additionally, some individuals stated that the lack of interpretation was the reason the doctor refused to see them. Jamal said, “I was waiting 25 days for a doctor’s appointment. The doctor refused to treat me because there wasn’t an interpreter...There is no access to healthcare, and I am now in a place where the pain is unbearable. This pain is not normal.” Others shared concerns that the lack of interpretation impeded their quality of care. For example, Soloman described his experience: “I went to the doctor here yesterday, but I did not have an interpreter. The doctor tried to use Google translate. For this reason, I’m not really sure the doctor understood me.” 51 52 In addition to participants’ concerns over the quality of healthcare, Equal Rights has observed that individuals in detention are often administered medicine by the police but with no packaging, labelling, or explanation as to what the medication is. Moreover, the lack of access to healthcare in both the private and public sphere resulted in clients’ confusion throughout their medical treatment. In Equal Rights’ communications with clients who were receiving medication or accessing healthcare, Equal Rights noticed an increase in clients’ requests for assistance in accessing healthcare and appointments, determining what pills are The Sorani interpreter spoke limited Arabic. Detained and Forgotten, supra note 1, at 53. Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 28-29. ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24