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Mercy Corps continues support to Kingdom’s health system amid pandemic

By Maria Weldali - Jan 19,2021 - Last updated at Jan 19,2021

AMMAN — Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Mercy Corps, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, added deeper layers of support through improving the capacity of the ministry to mount an effective response to the outbreak.

The Mercy Corps’ Leadership and Community Development programme, which was launched in 2013 with the aim of improving infrastructure in local communities, has supported the government in responding to the COVID crisis, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

“Across the globe, the fight against the novel coronavirus has overstretched health systems and badly damaged economies,whereas the Health Ministry’s budget has been primarily allocated for confronting the pandemic,” the statement wrote.

“Health systems in Jordan and the world have been overwhelmed in the context of COVID,” Shurouq Rasouq, programme coordinator told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday, noting that medical services are “the cornerstone” in the fight against the virus.

The programme supports continuing health services particularly during this pandemic, which reinforced the need of health systems for improved support to ensure access to quality medical services, she said.

Mercy Corps in close coordination with the Health Ministry and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK (FCDO), as well as, a number of actors in the health field, have worked on identifying and prioritising areas that could be supported, where nearly JD1.5 million of the programme’s budget were allocated to rehabilitation and development of the health infrastructure, according to the statement.

“This Mercy Corps’ project funded by FCDO, attempts to mitigate the impact of the crisis, support Jordan’s response and ensure the sustainability of the health sector’s works through maintaining or expanding medical facilities,” Zaid Hatokay, Mercy Corps’ Senior Programme manager said.

Health centres were provided with medical equipment, furniture and other supplies. Additionally, the quality of services provided at target health facilities was enhanced, the statement added.

Mercy Corps’ support to the health sector would be delivered in the form of maintenance projects in Al Ashrafiyeh and southern Shouneh health centres, and by supplying medical equipment such as hemodialysis units, dental units and other laboratory devices, in addition to providing medical and non-medical supplies

“The medical equipment would be distributed to 25 health facilities across the Kingdom by the end of March,” the statements noted, adding that adequate dormitories for medical staff would be prepared with the aim of providing comfortable environment in Al Bashir, Jameel Al Toutanji, Karak and Maan hospitals.  

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