Send more marmalade!

This week’s reflection from our Chief Medical Officer is a somewhat sticky affair….

Platinum bear

I grew up mainly in England and one of my favourite childhood TV programmes was a cartoon series of sticky stories about Britain’s hairiest ever smuggler of breakfast condiments! And I wasn’t the only one to love them. Yes, Paddington Bear is dear even to the heart of Queen Elizabeth II. Recently she even invited him to Buckingham Palace for tea and marmalade….

Criminal intent

Of course the Queen should not be associating with risky people. So in deciding to issue Paddington’s invitation to afternoon tea, the safety-conscious Palace officials must have decided to overlook his criminal record:-

• illegal asylum seeker: he was smuggled in on a boat from Peru,

• breaker of quarantine regulations: he should have been caged for a few months until we were sure he wouldn’t re-introduce rabies to Britain,

• smuggler: all that expensive marmalade!

Peru. Palace. Kigali?

So Paddington’s made it all the way from Peru to the Palace. Where’s next?

Well, he could be about to receive a second offer that he can’t refuse - a Home Office-funded trip to Rwanda to dialogue with local officials about Peru’s persecution of hairy citizens. One thing’s for sure: he’ll need to pack a very good razor because it’s a one-way ticket and the local climate necessitates daily body shaves!

But that’s okay folks. After all, regardless of whether or not he was persecuted back in Peru, Paddington is an illegal asylum seeker who has also committed crimes on our soil.

Seriously though

Quite rightly, the British government wants to act effectively to stop the ongoing horror of aggressive people smugglers herding vulnerable people to their deaths in the icy waters that surround our island nation.

And so now they have come up with a cunning plan. Under new rules due to go live this coming week, Paddington-esque figures who survive the Channel crossing may be re-routed - to Rwanda of all places. The first flight is due to leave today.

It remains to be seen just how un-British the Rwandan welcome will be. But whatever it is, it will be a far cry even from Paddington’s everyday life with the Brown Family at 32 Windsor Gardens. Concerningly, the European Union’s foray into Rwandan outsourcing has not had a good write-up, and Amnesty International is still finding much to criticise in Rwanda’s treatment of its own people.

Moreover, this is not an off-shore scheme. There will be no application to the British asylum system. No, there will just be the option of claiming Rwandan asylum.

Tortured souls

No, I do not condone breaking the law by not claiming asylum in the legally-prescribed manner.

Yes, something needs to be done to stop trafficked people drowning in the English Channel.

And yes, some of those attempting to cross the Channel are merely economic migrants waving false claims of torture & ill-treatment.

But no, let’s not forget that many others really have been tortured & ill-treated in detention settings within their countries of origin. So whichever country considers their claims needs to have detailed knowledge of torture & ill-treatment, appropriate attitude towards and facilities for both suspected & proven survivors, and cultural acceptance of the immigrants who go on to be granted refugee status.

And no, the Refugee Convention should not be quietly set adrift amongst the useless life jackets and other floating props of this packed-out comic tragedy.

British justice?

This is an important issue for me, and not just because I spend significant parts of my working life assessing complainants of torture & ill-treatment. It’s also important because I am a British citizen. Some of you readers are British citizens. And the British Government represents us, so this Rwandan scheme is being done in our name. Moreover though, the British government is accountable to us. So we should tell them what we think about this Rwandan scheme.

I’ll go first: I think it’s just incredible…

• incredibly unkind,

• incredibly immoral,

• incredibly un-British.

So I’ve got to sign off now and email my MP.

Your turn…

Dr Rachael Pickering is our voluntary Chief Medical Officer. Her personal opinions are not necessarily the same as those of Integritas Healthcare. We are always grateful for support.

Presentation by British Embassy in Manila

From 2017 until the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we were honoured to partner with the British Embassy in Manila, focusing on the care of British Nationals, and when possible other prisoners, who were held within Philippine places of detention. And as the pandemic is now easing, we have been able to celebrate a resurrection of this partnership…

On 31st May our Filipino arm, Integridad: Heart for Detainees, was honoured to welcome the British Consul Mr. Neill James and his colleague Mam Jaimie Sarmiento to Integritas House Olongapo (IHO).

Mr. James presented us with a most generous gift of specialist medical equipment, which was funded by a British government grant. This amazing equipment will particularly aid our telemedicine consultations with detainees. It will also enable us to give even better care to detainees generally. We are extremely grateful for this gift and we look forwards to putting it to good use in the near future, for the benefit of Philippine detainees of all nationalities.

Following the presentation of the equipment, our Operations Manager Mam Loy Napalan gave Mr. James and Mam Sarmiento a tour of our new clinic within IHO; all being well, we anticipate that it will open formally in mid-July. She also explained to them how we adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic - for example, by switching largely to telemedicine clinics.

Mention must also be made of the Philippine National Police. Mr. James’ visit to Olongapo, which was part of his regular commitment to visit prisons and other detention facilities within the Philippines, would not have been possible without appropriate security measures. So we were grateful to the officers and their canine helpers who performed a sweep of our premises before the visit.

This successful visit concluded with an enjoyable discourse over lunch.

For media enquiries, please email our office.

Staying safe

A piece of reflective testimony from our Rachael, our Chief Medical Officer whose childhood in the port city of Hull gave her taste for fresh fish and tales of the sea…

Safe harbour

In Spring 2020 I was happily at my usual work in the Western Pacific. Then COVID-19 barrelled up into a worldwide tsunami and, like most missionary-minded healthcare professionals, I was returned to the proverbial safe harbour of home. I don’t mind telling you that I was relieved.

Then I had a safe but relatively steady two years. Sure, I encountered some risk in English prisons working with COVID-positive prisoners. But in general it was easy. I even managed to get lucky: COVID resurged across Europe just as I was delivering a young family member to live in France for a year; so I got to spend Lockdown Two marooned in a beautiful French city with an amazing library. And thanks to the French seeming to regard pâtissiers as essential workers, I had endless supplies of tasty pastries! Life at that point in my pandemic could have been far, far worse!

So overall, my pandemic has been largely spent in comfort with my feet up by the proverbial fireside. But one can have too much of a good thing…

Back out to sea

This spring I was excited to learn that foreigners were once again allowed to travel to Olongapo, the Philippine port city where I spent a lot of time pre-pandemic. I booked a flight and headed off for what I thought would be a great time. After all, I’d been there dozens of times before. But instead I found myself unexpectedly terrified and unwell. Two years by my fireside had made me forget just how hard overseas medical work can be. A boat that’s been idling in a harbour for ages shouldn’t be simply returned to the sea. It needs to be prepared. Or else it flounders.

EMERGENCY REPAIRS

I don’t mind admitting that I returned from that first pandemic-era trip in poor shape. I’ve needed emergency repairs - rest & relaxation, counselling, exercise, medical attention, and time - time to pray and (something I had let lapse a bit during the pandemic) to daily seek guidance from God’s Word, the Bible. And my reading reminded me that I had neglected to appoint a captain for my ill-fated trip:-

Then he [Jesus] told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat [captain’s cabin] — I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how…”
(The Bible, Gospel of Luke 9:23-27, The Message version)

Not made for the harbour

I’m much better now and, thanks to two lovely friends, I’ve just managed to get away on a seaside mini-break! I really enjoyed watching boats of various sizes sail in and out of the local harbour. And then this morning I read this article and listened to this song, both of which were written by Andy Flannagan, a fellow medically-qualified, musical & left-listing Christian whose ministry I have always admired greatly…

Andy is quite right. We COVID-era Christians are at risk of mission paralysis from the ‘stay safe’ mantra. We’ve spent more than two years parting from each other with well-meaning reminders to ‘stay safe’. Absolutely, God doesn’t want us to die of COVID complacency. Yes, we should stay as safe from COVID as is practical. But no, He doesn’t want us to remain in safe harbours, drinking endless lattes in cosy cafes. He wants us back out in open waters, returning to our workplace ports, but guided by Him - the very best ship’s captain who knows have to navigate life’s dangerous waters.

Bon vogage

So now I’m preparing to set out from my home harbour once again. Yes it still feels a tad unsafe but this time I’m not frightened. Because I’ve remembered that workplace ports - in my case, overseas places of detention - were not, are not, and never will be completely ‘safe spaces’.

If you too have been in lockdown mentality, I wish you safe passage back to your own workplace. Remember that, whatever risks we face in our various work places, He is always right there beside us:-

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
(The Bible, Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20, The Message version)

Bon voyage!

Rachael

Dr Rachael Pickering is our voluntary Chief Medical Officer. She is in great need of prayer support and, thanks to COVID, financial assistance. If you’d like to receive her personal newsletter +/- help financially, please do get in touch.

NEW: H&J 2022/23 dates released

NEW

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After growing success and positive feedback from current and previous delegates, Integritas’ ‘Health and Justice’ track is back for another year.

Dates have now been confirmed and applications will open soon. Will you be part of the next delegation?

September 9th-10th 2022 conference

Oct. 4th 2022 webinar

Nov. 1st 2022 webinar

Jan. 13th-14th 2023 conference

Feb. 7th 2022 - webinar

March 7th 2023 webinar

April 28th-29th conference (CMF national conference is 21-23rd)

May 9th 2023 webinar

June 6th 2023 webinar

July 7th-8th 2023 conference

IME medical elective bursary

The Institute of Medical Ethics are offering bursaries of up to £800 each which will be awarded to current UK medical undergraduates to support Medical Student Electives, in the UK or overseas, that involve a project.

For more information and to apply click: https://ime-uk.org/grants-and-competitions/elective-bursaries/

ASD + Bars: Hi I'm Zoe

My name is Zoe. I am 20 years old and I live in England. As a teenager I was detained (sometimes called ‘sectioned’) twice under my country’s Mental Health Act (MHA). I even spent my 17th birthday in hospital. It was a very distressing time. I don’t remember all of it but what I do recall still upsets me. Thinking about it makes me cry. I’m crying now as I type. 

Thankfully I haven’t needed another admission since then, but I am still very affected by my disabilities. You might be looking at my photograph and asking yourself, ‘What disability?’ It’s called Asperger Syndrome, which is an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I also have bipolar mood disorder, another life-long condition. Disabilities like mine, which are not obvious at first glance, are called ‘hidden disabilities’. If you met me, you wouldn’t notice anything was amiss - not at first anyway. Yet my conditions do affect just about every part of my life.

Me (and my mum) telling mental healthcare workers about my experiences in hospital

I am trying to find my way in the world and this includes having a zero-hours job as Integritas’ autism and disabilities advocate (ADA). It helps that my mum is the chief medical officer and my dad is on the board, so they are around to help me when I need their support with this work. I am so lucky in this regard. Most young people with autism are completely out of employment, yet alone those who have another mental health challenge like my bipolar mood disorder.

In addition to their Integritas roles, both my parents are jobbing English prison doctors, and my mum has a special interest in mental health. So I’m quite used to hearing talk about the problems of caring for detained patients who have mental health issues. But my own lived experience of having been detained in hospital has given me personal insight into what needs to change for autistic people held in hospitals, prisons and other types of secure environment around the world.

And so throughout 2022 I’m going to be exploring various aspects of detention that affect detainees with ASD who may also have additional mental health needs. My intention is to help raise awareness and advocate for positive change. I do hope that you read my series and tell other people about it.

Until later this month…

Miss Zoe Pickering

PS If you’d like to support my work on this series, please donate to our Winter Appeal.

A Time of Love?

I am sure we all have somebody we wish we were better at loving. We find it easy to love when we receive love and kindness in return, but as soon as somebody wrongs us or does not thank us, we feel they no longer deserve our love.

It is even harder to love a stranger. In particular, a stranger who may have committed a terrible crime. I doubt that many of us have the 11 million prisoners of this world on our list of people we want to show love to this Christmas. And why would we?

There is darkness in the world and justice must be sought. But these prisoners could so easily be you or I, a mother or a father, a brother or a sister. We must not deny them their humanity and their right to be treated with compassion.

Martin Luther King famously said:

 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that” 

We aim to show love to some of the world’s detainees through medical care, pastoral care, feeding programmes and advocacy work. We urgently require your support to enable us to continue this work. Donations of any amount will be so gratefully received and will have a lasting impact on the work we are able to do.

Wherever you are, we hope you have a very happy Christmas, filled with hope, peace, joy and love.

Click here to donate.

A Time of Joy?

“Merry Christmas”, “Happy Christmas”, “Joy to the World!”  It is a time of year when we expect and hope to feel joyful. A time of laughter and fun as we meet with loved ones, exchange gifts and fill up on festive food.

There is much to be joyful about but it can often feel short-lived or leave us feeling deflated, as reality doesn’t always match up with our expectations.

But imagine how much harder it must be to feel joyful when in prison. You are away from your family, perhaps dealing with the guilt of past actions and kept in poor conditions, sometimes for many years or even a lifetime.

At Integritas, we believe that Jesus Christ and his offer of forgiveness and hope can bring joy to even the deepest, darkest prison cell on earth. It is a joy that does not depend on external circumstances.

Through our work, we hope to show every prisoner that regardless of their past, they matter and they have value. They do have a reason to be joyful.

If you would like to support us in this work, please click here to donate.

We hope that whatever circumstances you find yourself in this year, you too may know this joy this Christmas season.

A Time of Peace?

I wonder what peace looks like to you in your life. For some of us we enjoy moments of solitude in a quiet place, tucked up with a book, for others they relish the thought of being surrounded by loved ones amidst the joyful chaos of a busy Christmas-time house.

The Oxford English Dictionary lists one definition of the word peace as “freedom from anxiety, disturbance (emotional, mental, or spiritual), or inner conflict; calm, tranquillity.” However we may picture peace, it is safe to say we all long for that emotional peace described.

For the millions of people who will spend this Christmas in prison, it is unlikely they will experience any form of peace. Prisons across the world suffer from extreme overcrowding. Prisoners are often packed into spaces where the number of people far exceeds the designed capacity. This leads to poor physical health as infectious diseases can easily spread from one person to the next. The lack of personal space will lead to worsening mental health and increasing violent behaviour.

Whilst there may be valid reasons for people to be in prison, it does not justify the unsuitable conditions that currently exist.

Integritas comes face to face with the issue of overcrowded prisons and the harm this can inflict. It is vitally important that prisoners receive high quality healthcare to prevent further spread of diseases within the prison population.

As we look ahead to everything we enjoy about Christmas, let us remember those who are without peace or comfort.

If you feel able to donate, any amount will have a huge impact on the support Integritas is able to provide to prisoners

 Click here to donate

Winter Update

Dear Friend,

We trust you are not just surviving but thriving in this age of coronavirus. Forgive us for not being in touch since our last newsletter, shortly after the start of the pandemic. As you’ll appreciate, this evolving virus has kept us busy, busy, busy…

ILLNESS

In many countries, criminal courts are crippled by the virus and civil unrest is growing. Maddeningly itchy scabies runs rife in increasingly overcrowded cells not designed for long-term detention. Prisoners’ chronic health problems fester untreated.

Our response? A telemedicine service delivered over Zoom. We reach into police and prison cells, regularly in the Philippines and as required elsewhere in the world. Our medical expertise is donated free of charge. Yet as the service grows, our Filipino staffing and medical interventions are costing us more and more.

HUNGER

Even outside of a pandemic, many countries can’t afford to feed their police detainees yet those in prison do receive a basic food allowance. The pandemic has seen a massive rise in the number of police detainees.

Our response? Since the start of the pandemic, many thousands of hot, nutritious meals served up within Philippine police stations. On rare occasion we receive donated foodstuffs such as this 200 kilograms of mackerel. Still, this pandemic initiative is costing us a huge amount every week. Meanwhile coronavirus eats away at our usual sources of income.

DANGER

Pandemic or no pandemic, prisoners’ children are often especially vulnerable - children like this little girl whose mother had become our patient in a Philippine police station.

Our response? When concerns are raised, our Philippines staff go and investigate. If necessary, our social worker takes action. This particular child was found with her special needs sister and two brothers living in a slum on a rubbish dump, surrounded by a thriving sex industry. With their mum’s agreement, we took the two girls to a care home run by one of our local partner organisations. They are now safe and well. Many more remain at risk.

CRISIS

As you have read, we have found a silver lining within the COVID-19 cloud. It has afforded us humbling opportunities not only to continue serving but also to grow in a manner that is responsive to the pandemic.

Unfortunately though, the ongoing nature of the pandemic is about to kill us off. It has ripped apart our long-established finance model of generating commercial income to cover humanitarian expenditure. All of our pre-pandemic UK-based commercial work has now gone. We desperately need financial help whilst awaiting conversion from not-for-profit UK company to registered UK charity. After that time we will be able to claim giftaid and apply for charitable grants.

Our response? Asking for your help. For the first time ever, we are having to put out a general appeal. We need at least £6,500 per month or else we won’t live to see our tenth birthday next summer. Right now we don’t even have sufficient funds to see in the New Year. Our giving page contains examples of how we could put different sized donations to great use. We’re also grateful for new volunteers as well as prayers from people of faith.

However you choose to respond, thank you for your continued interest in Integritas Healthcare, the Christian faith-inspired organisation with a heart for detainees of all faiths and none. Please feel free to share this update with anyone you consider suitable and trustworthy.

Wishing you a safe and peaceful build-up to the Christmas holidays.

Dr Rachael Pickering & Dr Lavinia Miries
Chief Medical Officer & Chief Operations Officer