Portrait exhibition raises refugee healthcare profile

Sarah, service user - portrait by Mark Sheratt

Medical humanitarian charity Doctors of the World has marked the 10-year anniversary of its trailblazing east London health clinic for refugees and migrants with a portrait photography exhibition.

Showing at the Four Corners Gallery in London from 7 - 10 September, the 'Undocumented: Healthcare for the Hidden' exhibition features the work of eight prominent photographers, including Kate Peters, Mark Sherratt and Jenny Lewis.

The charity aims to raise awareness of the barriers that migrants and refugees face when seeking medical attention, with many being turned away from local GP surgeries due to lack of identification or proof of address.

It tells the stories of the clinic volunteers and some of the thousands of patients treated - such as Sarah and Tavish (pictured above and below) - since the Bethnal Green clinic's inception in 2006.

Tavish, service user - portrait by Jenny Lewis

Demand for the clinic's services has trebled over the past 10 years, and is expected to rise steadily as the government has not yet outlined plans to replace the stopgap service.

Leigh Daynes, executive director of Doctors of the World, said: “Ten years on, our Bethnal Green clinic is needed now more than ever as successive governments make it harder for vulnerable, destitute migrants to get the healthcare they are entitled to.

“Ensuring access to primary care is not only the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do in protecting the public purse and assuring public health.

“This exhibition speaks not just of their plight but also of the power of many acts of compassion.”

Dr Thelma Thomas, clinic volunteer - portrait by Kate Peters