This is the work The Responder – a rescue ship run jointly by the Italian Red Cross and Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) – does every day. The rescued migrants have endured treacherous conditions in small boats, called dinghies, which are often over capacity and incredibly unsafe. During her four-week assignment, Kim was the only doctor on board the ship, and worked with a medical team consisting of a nurse and a paramedic.
Over the four weeks, Kim estimates the ship rescued about 2,300 people. In order to assess the migrants coming aboard with such a small team, it was essential for the health team to be right up front as the migrants came on board. This allowed the team to visually assess the migrants one by one as they boarded the ship, looking for individuals who were in visible distress, had trouble walking, looked dehydrated or had visible injuries.
The stories that the migrants told were often beyond anything we here in Canada can imagine. Kim remembers in particular the story of a young man from Libya, who told her about being kidnapped while walking down the street and being taken to a forced labour detention centre. He escaped into the jungle with another detainee – while being fired upon – and eventually made it onto a dinghy bound for Europe. The two men were so grateful to be rescued that they often tried to help the staff and crew on board the ship in anyway they could.
Kim describes most of the assignment was an “eat when you can, sleep when you can” situation. Still, despite the hectic environment and lack of sleep, she says it was an “incredible privilege” to interact with and help migrants at the first point of contact. In addition to the young Syrian girl and the young men from Libya, Kim met many other passengers whose stories she’ll keep with her. Looking back, she says she’s “so fortunate” to have had this experience.