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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - In response to the rising number of Syrian refugees living in Zaatari camp, Médecins du Monde (MdM) is opening a second Primary Health Care centre in Zaatari camp on Monday 29th April 2013. The health centre’s opening is an important step in the scaling-up of MdM intervention in Jordan; an absolute necessity in order to improve the coverage of the Syrians’ health needs and support Jordan in its constant efforts to host the refugees.

With over 100, 000 Syrians currently living in Zaatari camp, and an average of 2000 new arrivals into Jordan per day, medical needs are constantly growing. MdM has the responsibility to respond to these needs, in particular to avoid complications and a surge of referrals to Jordanian hospitals. By doing so, MdM aims to alleviate the pressure on Jordanian health facilities.

The first MdM Primary Health Care centre reached a saturation point in February 2013, with up to 200 consultations per day. Dr. Magdi Ibrahim, MdM General Coordinator stated that: “With such caseload, quality of care is automatically decreasing. As such it was necessary for MdM to react by opening a new health centre to keep the medical standards high. The centre provides comprehensive Primary Health Care services, which will be completed by psychological activities and mother and child care in the near future”.

With a second Primary Health Care centre located in the Northern area of the camp, MdM is bringing medical care closer to the refugees. Zaatari camp is now eight times bigger than it was at the time of its opening. With this expansion, many patients have to walk up to 30 minutes to reach a health facility. The far distance is hard to walk under the harsh weather, especially for the elderly, women with children or people with disabilities.

MdM is an international humanitarian organisation that provides medical care to the most vulnerable populations affected by war, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty and exclusion with programs in 79 countries around the world;

MdM has been working to reduce the impact of the Syrian crisis on Syrian refugees’ health and the Jordanian health system since March 2012 by managing and supporting primary health care centres in Ramtha town, King Abdullah Park and Zaatari camps in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Health (MoH) and with the financial support of UK Aid.

MdM remains committed to alleviate the pressure put on the Jordanian medical facilities by seeking to expand its activities in the Northern governorates of the kingdom in the near future.