Paper short abstract:

It will explore social imaginaries around healthcare system insufficiency, humanitarian crisis at Polish-Byelorussian border and war-caused displacement of Ukraine’s population as well as mobilization of healthcare professionals to provide the assistance to the most vulnerable in the crises times.

Paper long abstract:

The presentation will discuss the overlapping and colliding crises resulting from healthcare system insufficiency, humanitarian crisis at Polish-Byelorussian border and unfolding displacement of Ukraine’s population across Poland, resulting from the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. I will explore social imaginaries around these crises as well as individual and group mobilization to provide the assistance to the most vulnerable. In particular I am interested in the role of healthcare professionals in response to these crises. The analysis is based on ongoing fieldwork about migrants’ access to healthcare in Poland, and involvement of medical personnel in grass root assistance and support. Since healthcare provision - both to Polish citizens and migrant workers - has been increasingly insufficient in recent years, new forms and practices are developed in response to humanitarian crises in Poland. I will also reflect on methodological challenges when researching such phenomena, especially when a researcher plays many roles.