DoctorsWorldwide was involved in running primary health care clinics in the refugee camps. This was done in co-ordination with the local UN organising committee. The numbers living in the camps and basic conditions were appalling. There were only a handful of toilets for a camp of thousands. When it rained the tents were flooded and camp converted into muddied ground. Refugees in the winter were so cold that they were forced to burn the wood from the makeshift toilets to keep themselves from freezing to death. The tents themselves were overcrowded. People had been living like this for over two years with little improvement.

The health of this refugee population had suffered dramatically. There was currently an epidemic of Tuberculosis in Ingushetia, in large part due to the poor living conditions in the camps, refugees living in tents and abandoned railway carriages in sub-zero temperatures. Many of the old were not receiving the regular medication that they require for chronic health problems. We came across an elderly Chechen lady living in one of the tents who had severe heart failure and was not able to have regular diuretic therapy. Her legs had swollen grossly and she was having difficulty in breathing. Many people with hypertension and angina were not able to have access to their required medication regularly. Many children were not receiving their immunisations.

Over the course of the following year, volunteer doctors provided basic health care from a dedicated clinic, all health care and medicines were provided free of charge. From within the camp a Chechen doctor and nurses were found, they were encouraged, counselled and then trained to continue running the clinic.

On the 7-11 November 2003, Doctors Worldwide brought 10 Chechen metal health workers to a specially arranged seminar in Istanbul. A specialist team from the UMICPT ( University of Missouri International Centre for Psychological Trauma) were arranged to help further train the mental health practitioners in techniques to work with psychologically traumatized children and their families. Also attending and benefiting from the training were a number of Chehcen mental health workers who were refugees in Turkey.