IPPOKRATIS project is designed to offer both medical and psychosocial support services together with child protection case management, although in its initial stage of implementation it was challenged by the lack of interpretation services and the difficulty in staffing medical services (especially doctors) in the islands of Dodecanese.1150 More specifically, challenges in accessing healthcare due to the lack of interpreters and cultural mediators in public healthcare facilities (mainly hospitals and health centers) also persisted in 2024. The language barrier was also flagged as by far the primary obstacle to accessing healthcare by asylum applicants (registered or pending registration) surveyed as part of an ongoing monitoring activity carried out between February 2022-March 2024, under the coordination of UNCHR in Greece. This was followed by challenges in acquiring necessary documentation (i.e., social security number). 1151 Especially in 2024, though, this lack of interpretation services from May till the end of 2024 and thus the obstruction communication between asylum seekers and medical staff was at a point that in many cases resulted per se in people being excluded from effective medical care, exposing them to serious risks and significantly impacting their physical and mental health.1152 As per GCR’s observations in the field,1153 in Lesvos CCAC the situation was dire when transitioning from PHILOS II to IPPOKRATIS medical care project. In the middle of June 2024, organisations reported that there were no doctors for registrations and screenings, referrals to the hospital could not be made, and no vulnerability assessments were taking place.1154 Until the end of August 2024 there was a “bridge” project with severe limitations, such as the working shift and interpretation supported by RIS.1155 Regarding mental health support in particular, access to medical care was even more restricted, as interpretation is pivotal in treating such cases. Even after IPPOKRATIS commenced, referrals to public hospitals were not implemented if an interpreter was not physically available for the case. 1156 “Almost all of them talk about suicidal thoughts, lack of support, and sleeping problems” shared an MSF psychologist when talking of his recent experience on the field and further added on unaccompanied children that reach adulthood: “Once they are no longer minors, they are sent to camps, where there is little to no followup”1157 highlighting the gaps in mental health without sufficient support. E. Special reception needs for vulnerable groups Indicators: Special Reception Needs 1. Is there an assessment of special reception needs of vulnerable persons in practice? Yes In some cases No The law provides that, when applying the provisions on reception conditions, the competent authorities shall take into account the specific situation of vulnerable persons such as minors, unaccompanied or not, direct relatives of victims of shipwrecks (parents and siblings), disabled people, elderly people, pregnant women, single parents with minor children, persons with serious illnesses, persons with a cognitive or mental disability and persons who have been subjected to torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence, victims of female genital mutilation and victims of human trafficking.1158 Since the entry into force of the IPA on 1 January 2020 and subsequent law 4939/2022 which replaced Articles 1-112 and 114 of the IPA, the assessment of the vulnerability of persons entering irregularly into the territory takes place within the framework of the Reception and Identification Procedure and is no 1150 Information shared at a special meeting of IOM and Child Rights Advocacy Network (CRAN) Members in November 2024. 1151 UNHCR, Inter-Agency Protection Monitoring for Refugees in Greece: Key findings, available at: https://tinyurl.com/3z6t3y9f, relevant section on health. 1152 See more on this: Voices from the Camps: Living Conditions and Access to Services in Refugee Camps on the Greek Mainland, Mobile Info Team, 2024, available here and GCR and Save the Children joint report “It does not feel like real life”: Children’s everyday life in Greek refugee camps, available here, 19 and “Refugee camps in mainland Greece”, Refugee Support Aegean, 2024, available here, 13. 1153 GCR maintains a permanent presence on the island. 1154 Lesvos Legal Aid Sub Working Group minutes of 18 June 2024 are available upon request 1155 Only one shift from 07:00 to 15:00, information shared among Lesvos Legan Aid Sub Working Group, 23 July 2024, minutes available upon request. 1156 Information shared at an IOM and CRAN special meeting in November 2024. 1157 MSF, A mental health crisis among refugees and migrants in Greece, 10 October 2024, available here. 1158 Article 62 (1) Asylum Code in combination with Article 1 i) and λγ) of the same law. 210