AKRON, Ohio — Hamayon Yaqobi loves providing refugees with the care they need.
“Currently, we are serving Afghanistan, and also Syria and Congo. Those are the countries that we are serving the most right now,” Yaqobi said.
Yaqobi helps run health care screenings for refugees as the operations manager at the Asian Services in Action International Community Health Center.
“We do all their health screening, and we do their blood work, and also we get them up to date [with their] vaccine[s], COVID vaccine, flu vaccine, and other all vaccines that kids need for the school,” Yaqobi said.
Before coming to America in 2016, Yaqobi worked as a translator for the United States military in Afghanistan. He said offering accessible and culturally competent health care is vital for those who may be facing financial or language barriers when they first arrive to the states.
“We use an interpreter, and we are a very diverse agency, and if for some reason we don’t have that particular interpreter on-site, so then we use a telephone line,” Yaqobi added.
Yaqobi said his work is rewarding because he understands how difficult the acclimation process can be for refugees.
“It’s very important because I have gone through the same process, you know. It’s very hard and lots of people suffer in Afghanistan,” Yaqobi said. “So, it’s very important that I work for ASIA International Community Health Center because I feel like, you know, I come from — I feel their pain, so, and I know how to interact with them and how to handle situations particularly for the refugee community.”
Yaqobi said his center screens nearly 10 refugees a week. ASIA serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
If you’re interested in learning more about their services, please visit their website.
