New clinic opens in Montreal for migrants with no health insurance

The city of Montreal has a new one-of-a-kind clinic where medical treatment will be provided to people with no health care coverage.

Mdecins du Monde Canada, a non-governmental organization that helps provide medical treatment to the needy, inaugurated the clinic at 560 Crmazie Street East Tuesday evening.

It would allow medical services to be given to those stuck in bureaucratic mazes, such as the children of immigrants or permanent residents still waiting to receive their medicare cards.

According to Dr Nicolas Bergeron, president of Mdecins du Monde Canada, many of the clinic's patients are expected beseasonal workers, undocumented migrants and people in precarious financial situations.

Bergeron added that one out of every three patients seeks services illegally.

"Some are worried about being identified and deported, but that is not the majority," he said.

Another third of patients who turn to Mdecins du Monde Canada have access to the health care system, but need help due to language barriers.

Help wanted from the province

The clinic is operating on $350,000 a year, which comes from philanthropic funding and public funding for the fight against sexually transmitted diseases.

"We are trying to convince the state that helping uninsured migrants is a better solution for all of us," Bergeron said.

"Mdecins du Monde can build a small sanctuary clinic, but the problem is obviously much wider. We need a stronger response from the state."