To the Editor: We congratulate Newman for her editorial advocating a humane response to the health needs of asylum seekers in Australia.1 Recently, we have been involved in the care of two such vulnerable children, referred by non-specialist doctors at a remote detention centre and transported to Perth, Western Australia, for emergency management and paediatric subspecialist input. These cases illustrate some of the unique medical and psychological problems affecting this population, and the potential risks associated with inadequate provision of health services.
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- 1. Newman LK. Seeking asylum: health and human rights in Australia [editorial]. Med J Aust 2012; 197: 596-597. <MJA full text>
- 2. Mutch RC, Cherian S, Nemba K, et al. Tertiary paediatric refugee health clinic in Western Australia: analysis of the first 1026 children. J Paediatr Child Health 2012; 48: 582-587.
- 3. Scheeringa MS, Zeanah CH, Cohen JA. PTSD in children and adolescents: toward an empirically based algorithm. Depress Anxiety 2011; 28: 770-782.
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