One Doctor’s Mission to Bring Healthcare to Refugee Women

Sep 20, 2021

Aral Sürmeli, a Harvard-educated doctor and founder of the HERA app, discusses his mission to improve healthcare for refugee women. He shares his journey from jazz to medicine, illustrating the healthcare struggles faced by refugees, especially mothers. The conversation dives into innovative solutions like the HERA app, which connects users to essential healthcare services. Aral emphasizes the importance of community and technology in providing tailored support for refugee populations, and highlights the resilience needed in humanitarian work.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Struggles and Resilience: The Syrian Refugee Experience in Turkey

04:16 • 10min

Empowering Refugee Women through Mobile Healthcare Solutions

14:14 • 3min

Innovative Healthcare Solutions for Refugees

16:54 • 6min

Innovative Healthcare Solutions for Refugee Women

22:56 • 6min

Embracing Adaptability in Humanitarian Work

28:43 • 2min

After trading jazz for a Harvard education, this doctor chose to support refugees by not only working in a refugee camp in Turkey, but by developing an app that supports refugees’ unique healthcare needs.

One of the major challenges of being a refugee is the lack of access to real healthcare, particularly for refugee women. But through the power of empathy and tech, there are now more avenues for refugees seeking proper care for their basic needs.

This week, we are joined by Aral Sürmeli, a Harvard educated refugee healthcare provider. Sürmeli has worked to offer solutions through public advocacy and digital solutions for refugees seeking shelter, pregnancy care, and much more. After starting his Masters in Public Health at Harvard University in the fall of 2018, Aral launched the HERA app — a mobile app connecting refugee mothers and children with preventative healthcare.

Before discovering his passion for refugee work, Aral spent his high school years in Turkey working for nonprofits and providing care for vulnerable communities. After losing his father to pancreatic cancer, however, Aral decided to study medicine and developed a focus in public health. In this episode, he shares how he became interested in refugee health after a visit to Turkish refugee camps — and how he’s exploring and working to solve the unique complications for refugees accessing healthcare through tech.

Guest: Aral Sürmeli, humanitarian and founder of HERA
Visit HERA’s website, project-hera.com.

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