As the days grow shorter, the weather colder, and the holidays closer, winter often presents the time for reflection. Chief among the considerations in November is always, “What are you grateful for?” At Migrant Clinicians Network, our gratitude has remained consistent across more than three decades of work: we are grateful for each and every one of our #HeroesOnTheFrontline.
Supporting these individuals took on a different flavor in 2020, as the Coronavirus manifested in the most serious threat to the collective public health in the millennium. The virus came while our populous was weakened. Negative social determinants of health have wrecked havoc on the health of many migrants, immigrants, and other communities who have truly been shown to be vulnerable to this virus. Hundreds of thousands of people in the US already struggled to get timely, culturally relevant, and affordable care. COVID-19 has only exacerbated these health concerns. With close to 250,000 recorded fatalities in the United States alone, a number which threatens to continue climbing with family gatherings and flu season intensifying during the holidays, and with growing fatigue among the critical health care providers on whom we rely, the picture certainly appears bleak.
Yet, as is often the case, hope is present in the darkest of circumstances. The first of several ambitious vaccination projects is well underway, standing as a beacon of hope that signals perhaps that tides are turning in our favor once and for all. While the world waits with bated breath, it is ever more crucial to continue providing direct support for the doctors, nurses, community health workers, case managers, social workers, attorneys, and other working professionals for whom confronting COVID-19 directly at the frontlines has become a full-time job. From providing direct psychosocial support, to providing culturally appropriate and low-literacy resources, to pushing for better working conditions for the most vulnerable, MCN stands up to support our #HeroesOnTheFrontline – and we invite you to support them, too. |
