Working as a Doctor In a Refugee Camp An Interpretation of Greek Doctors' Motivation and Navigation in the Temporary Refugee Camp of Kara Tepe II in Lesbos Greece
Authors
Patrika, Stamatia ; Lazaridou, Dimitra-Paraskevi
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Pages
86
Abstract
This thesis examines why Greek doctors chose to start and continue working in the temporary refugee camp of Kara Tepe II on Lesbos, how they navigated a demanding work environment, and how their motivations relate to the narratives they use to describe their experiences. The study draws on five semi-structured online interviews with doctors working in the camp (conducted between February and April 2021) and uses an interpretative phenomenological approach to analyze lived experiences. In a context marked by the refugee crisis, staff shortages, and difficult working conditions—such as limited equipment and medicines, high patient loads, and constrained support from the public hospital—doctors’ narratives revealed themes of perceived futility, roles beyond clinical care, perceptions of Covid-19 as policy, and working conditions. The analysis indicates that doctors’ motivations are dynamic and shape how they construct their narratives, and that specific navigation strategies emerge from these narratives. It concludes that individuals’ motivations are likely to influence how they navigate their work in the camp, offering insights that may help organizations better prepare and support medical staff in similar settings.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor græske læger valgte at begynde og fortsætte arbejdet i den midlertidige flygtningelejr Kara Tepe II på Lesbos, hvordan de navigerede i et krævende arbejdsmiljø, og hvordan deres motivationer hænger sammen med de fortællinger, de bruger til at beskrive deres erfaringer. Studiet er baseret på fem semistrukturerede onlineinterviews med læger, der arbejdede i lejren (gennemført mellem februar og april 2021), og analyseret gennem en fortolkende fænomenologisk tilgang med fokus på menneskers levede erfaringer. I en kontekst præget af flygtningekrise, personalemangel og vanskelige arbejdsforhold—såsom mangel på udstyr og medicin, højt patientpres og begrænset støtte fra det offentlige hospital—fremkom temaer i lægernes fortællinger om bl.a. oplevet meningsløshed, roller “ud over” det rent lægefaglige, opfattelser af Covid-19 som politik samt arbejdsvilkår. Analysen peger på, at lægernes motivationer er dynamiske og påvirker måden, de konstruerer deres fortællinger, og at konkrete navigationsstrategier udspringer af disse fortællinger. Konklusionen er, at individers motivationer i høj grad ser ud til at forme, hvordan de orienterer sig og handler i deres arbejdsproces i lejren, hvilket kan give organisationer indblik i, hvordan man bedre forbereder og støtter sundhedspersonale i lignende kontekster.
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