Medibüro Berlin is appalled and concerned about the war in Ukraine.
We show solidarity with all people who are currently fleeing Ukraine – regardless of their citizenship or passport. We oppose any hierarchization of refugees. We support and advocate that the arriving people are taken in and receive fast, unbureaucratic, and reliable care.
We receive many questions about health care for the arriving people. We are currently in contact with other initiatives, the Refugee Council Berlin and the Senate Department for Health, to inform about how exactly the medical care will work.
At the federal level, it has been decided that all people currently fleeing Ukraine will receive a residence permit for temporary protection according to § 24 of the Residence Act (AufenthG) and an unlimited right to work and social benefits according to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (AsylbLG). Responsible in Berlin are the social welfare offices of the districts. When someone applies for social assistance, the social welfare office must register the person with a health insurance fund. It can take a few weeks until the health insurance card is issued.
The Berlin Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians has published a list of 500 doctors who treat war refugees from Ukraine free of charge as a stopgap measure. It is not yet clear who will pay for the medication.
www.kvberlin.de/fuer-patienten/ukraine
In emergencies, the emergency departments of the hospitals are obliged to help. However, they cannot provide ongoing treatment or issue free redeemable prescriptions for medicines.
As Medibüro Berlin, we strive to help people from Ukraine who do not yet have access to medical care. However, as a volunteer, donation-based project with scarce human and financial resources, it is definitely not possible for us to provide the medical care promised by Germany and the EU to the arriving people. We therefore advocate for a quick implementation of the nationwide legal regulations in Berlin. We try to support the people who come to us for medical care as well and as quickly as possible.
Official information from the Berlin Senate at:
www.berlin.de/ukraine/ankommen
Detailed and up-to-date information is provided by the Berlin Refugee Council. It advocates for a fast, lawful and in practice functioning implementation of the federal decisions:
fluechtlingsrat-berlin.de/news_termine/ukraine