Pharmacist Helping Syrian Refugees

Integrating into a new society is never easy but Magdy Kamar, Pharmacist and Owner of High Street Guardian Pharmacy, is trying to help Syrian refugees navigate the complex Canadian healthcare system.

Magdy can understand what it feels like being an immigrant; he immigrated to Canada from Egypt 25 years ago. He is fluent in Arabic and understands first hand some of the challenges when adapting into a new society.

Syrian Refugees in Peterborough

Peterborough currently is home to six or seven Syrian refugee families. In the future, this number will grow to a total of 72 families by April 2017.

Not only will there be a shock in the temperatures (thank goodness for the early Spring weather), but there will also be a cultural and language shock for our newcomers in Peterborough. If you had a hard time already understanding what your Doctor, Nurses, or Pharmacists are saying, imagine trying to understand what your healthcare provider is saying if you don’t speak English. Magdy is helping some of the Syrian refugee family by attending their medical appointments and helping with the translation. He is also working with a Pediatrician to translate the immunization chart from English to Syrian to determine where a child is in terms of their immunizations.