Patients' privacy
All health care personnel in Norway have a duty to protect their patients' privacy. This means that they are not allowed to tell anyone else about your medical condition, unless you give them permission. They are not even allowed to give anyone your name, or inform them that you are a patient.
Do you need an interpreter?
You have the right to have an interpreter present if you are not sure that you will understand what is being said. Healthcare personnel are responsible for getting you an interpreter if they think it is necessary. Sometimes they interpret over the phone. If you do need an interpreter, you must say so ahead of your appointment with the doctor. It may take a few days to get hold of an interpreter. All interpreters have a duty of confidentiality.
Arrival on time
If you have made an appointment with a healthcare professional, it is important to arrive on time. You must let them know if you cannot come, or if you will be delayed. If you do not let them know, you will lose your appointment and will have to make a new one. You will have to pay for any appointments that you miss.
Acute illness / serious injury
Call 113 if you need an ambulance. If you become acutely ill or suffer serious injury, you must notify the reception centre staff and/or contact the emergency/casualty ward or your local hospital. If you are unable to notify either of these, you must ask someone else for help so that you can receive treatment.
Seeing the doctor
Contact a healthcare professional if you are sick or have health problems. In Norway, everyone has the right to choose a doctor (General Practitioner) they can go to regularly. Asylum seekers also have the right to a GP. You must pay a portion of the cost of the consultation when you see your GP. This is free in the transit centres. Your GP will refer you to a specialist if necessary. Children receive free medical care up to the age of twelve. Psychological therapy treatment is free up to the age of eighteen.
Medication
The chemist's (pharmacy) sells all kinds of medication. Some products can be bought over the counter, but the majority are only available with a prescription from your doctor. A few medicines can be bought in ordinary supermarkets. If you need specific medication for a chronic illness, the government will pay most of the cost. Your doctor will write out a 'blue prescription' and you will then have to pay only a small proportion of the actual cost of the medicine. Save all receipts for medicine and expenses incurred due to illness.
Mental health
Being an asylum seeker with an uncertain future can be difficult. The waiting period can be long. Many people are disappointed. Many people feel a sense of loss and loneliness. It is normal to be sad, sleep badly, and become angry, tired or insecure. Some people suffer from headaches, pains or nausea. You can talk about this with the staff at the reception centre or with your doctor.
There are some things you can do yourself to improve your mental health. Daily exercise will normally help. Running, football, weight-training and play are good for your physical and mental wellbeing. The same goes for reading, studying and participation in communal activities. Anything that makes you concentrate on achieving something is good for you. Passivity while you wait is not good for you.
Many of those staying at asylum reception centres have experienced various forms of persecution, war and violence. Some develop serious psychological problems as a result of their experiences. These problems can be reinforced by living in a country and a culture that are unfamiliar. Contact a healthcare professional if you are suffering from psychological problems and need help.
Children's mental health
Children need someone to understand and support them. Children who have experienced war or abuse are particularly vulnerable. The same goes for children who have lost loved-ones or have experienced death at close quarters. They are often afraid of being alone, of being in the dark, or are anxious that something bad might happen to them. If your children have suffered painful experiences, it is very important that you tell the reception centre staff or a doctor.
Preventing illness: Diet
In Norway you will have to eat food that is different to what you are used to. In the winter you must take a Vitamin D supplement to compensate for the lack of sunlight. To maintain good health you must eat a healthy, balanced diet. It is good to eat fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and dairy products. If you are unsure about which foods are good for you, ask for advice at your reception centre. It is especially important for children to eat the right things. So keep a close watch on your children's diet.
Preventing illness: Cleanliness and hygiene
It is important to keep your living space clean. It reduces the risk of infection. Bacteria can thrive where it is damp, such as in the kitchen or bathroom. Washbasins, toilets, showers, drains and other areas where there is water must therefore be kept clean.
Preventing illness: Personal hygiene
Good personal hygiene is also important to avoid disease. You should wash both hands with soap when you have been to the toilet and before and after you have prepared food.
Preventing illness: Dental health
To avoid tooth decay, teeth must be cleaned every day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Children's teeth should also be carefully cleaned. Teach your children to look after their teeth. In Norway adults must pay for dental treatment, but children and young people receive free treatment up to eighteen years of age. Asylum seekers can receive some financial assistance for dental treatment that is approved by dentists working under the local authority. The reception centre can give advice on this.
Sexual health: Sexually transmitted diseases
All sexually transmitted diseases are contracted through sexual contact. Condoms and femidoms are the only contraceptive devices which prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. You can buy condoms in most supermarkets and at the chemist's (pharmacy). Femidoms are available from the chemist's. You have the right to free diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Examples of diseases which are transmitted through sexual intercourse are HIV, gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes, Chlamydia and genital warts. Ask your reception centre staff or your doctor if you would like to know more.
Sexual health: HIV/AIDS
When you arrived in Norway you were offered the opportunity to take an HIV test. HIV is contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse and the transfer of blood. HIV can also be transmitted through breastfeeding. Condoms protect against HIV. Use a condom during all forms of sexual intercourse with anyone you are not certain is free of infection. You cannot catch HIV from day-to-day contact with other people. If you have HIV or AIDS, you are entitled to receive medical help. Ask your reception centre staff or your doctor if you would like to know more.
Sexual health: Female circumcision
Female circumcision is common in some cultures. In Norway, female circumcision is strictly forbidden. Female circumcision amounts to genital mutilation. In Norway, anyone convicted of carrying out or complicity in the carrying out of genital mutilation is liable to up to eight years in prison. The law applies to everyone living in Norway, even if the deed was carried out abroad. Many women who come to Norway have been circumcised. Circumcision can lead to serious health problems for women. Healthcare professionals can give advice and help to those who have already been circumcised.
Sexual health: Contraception
Healthcare professionals can explain the various methods you can use to avoid becoming pregnant. The most common method of contraception for men is the condom. Women have a variety of methods to choose from, e.g. contraceptive pills, injections and plasters, and the coil. Talk to a healthcare professional about what suits you and your situation best.
Sexual health: Abortion
In Norway, it is up to the woman to decide if she wants to terminate her pregnancy within the first 12 weeks. The approval of a doctor, priest, imam or other person is not required. The woman's husband has no right to decide this matter, even if he is the father of the foetus. The woman must contact a doctor or a midwife if she wishes to have an abortion. If a woman wishes to have an abortion after the twelfth week of pregnancy, she must seek the approval of a panel of medical practitioners at the nearest hospital. The woman's midwife or doctor has a duty to help her with her application.
Sexual health: Antenatal care
When you are pregnant, you should have regular antenatal check-ups. You decide for yourself whether you would like to see a midwife, a doctor or make an appointment with the baby and child clinic. Both midwives and doctors are trained to carry out these checks. If you wish, you may take someone with you to your appointment. If complications arise during your pregnancy, your doctor or midwife will refer you to a specialist. Attending regular antenatal check-ups has a number of advantages. Both your own health and that of your unborn baby will be monitored, and you will receive information and assistance. Antenatal check-ups are free of charge.
