IRC, Health Ministry sign agreement to support health system

AMMAN — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Health Ministry have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) related to a $1.35 million donation for the provision of awareness, primary health and reproductive health integrated services in Jordan. 

The MoU is aimed at activating the partnership and cooperation relationship between the Health Ministry and the IRC for the effective implementation of the project, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The contribution includes an in-kind donation from the IRC of some $300,000 for the provision of medical supplies and equipment, purchased with funding from The Pfizer Foundation.

The supplies and equipment will contribute to the ministry’s COVID-19 response in northern governorates of Irbid and Mafraq, as well as hospitals in Amman, which were established to ease some of the burden on other public health facilities.

The support further aims to contribute to health system strengthening in each of Irbid, Ramtha and Mafraq. 

As part of the contribution from The Pfizer Foundation to the IRC in addition to support from IRC’s partner Community Jameel, the IRC has provided eight ventilators, five water purification units for dialysis centres and other essential medical and non-medical equipment to the Health Ministry in support of Jordan’s national response to COVID-19. 

In a statement, Health Minister Feras Al Hawari emphasized the importance of the partnership with the IRC in supporting the health sector in the Kingdom, especially in the face of the COVID pandemic.

"We must tackle the situation we are facing at present as a nation and as a global community so it is crucial that we continue to support healthcare services and safeguard frontline health workers in Jordan," Sharifa Sarra Ghazi, IRC Jordan Country Director, said in an IRC statement.

"The IRC is fully committed to supporting the Government of Jordan in continuing to strengthen the public health system to respond to health crises and help people whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the pandemic,” she said.

“With the government’s support we have been able to continue providing healthcare to vulnerable Jordanians and refugees in Mafraq and Ramtha, as well as to refugees in both Azraq and Zaatari camps, ensuring that all those in need of healthcare are able to receive it," she added.

The in-kind medical assistance provided to the Ministry of Health includes minor rehabilitation operations of more than 10 health clinics within the Ministry of Health’s Mafraq and Ramtha directorates. 

The ICU ventilators for both paediatric and adult use are aimed at supporting the national health system in responding to increased caseloads of severe COVID-19 cases and have already been installed at Al Bashir Hospital — one of the key government-operated hospitals in Amman.

Two defibrillators with emergency trollies have also been delivered and installed at Al Bashir by the IRC, as well two for public hospitals in Zarqa and one for Al Karak Public Hospital.

As a primary humanitarian and development responder in the Kingdom since 2007, the IRC has been supporting both Jordanians and refugees. During the coronavirus pandemic, the IRC has to date provided more than 50,000 humanitarian services to 40,000 beneficiaries in Jordan, including primary health services, women protection and empowerment activities, economic recovery services, child protection and early childhood development programmes.