Qatar Red Crescent’s (QRCS) mission in Yemen has commenced the operation of Al-Thawrah Health Complex in Al Thawrah District, Amanat Al Asemah, in co-operation with Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health & Population (MoPHP). The six-month project will cost $126,200, or nearly QR460,000, and is funded by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), QRCS has said in a press statement.
With this support, the complex will continue to serve internally displaced persons (IDPs) from various governorates. The project involves remunerations for the technical and administrative staff and hiring of new specialists; supply of the required medical equipment, basically a complete blood count, an electrocardiogram and clinical microscopes, as well as maintenance of existing equipment; provision of medicines, medical consumables, fuel and stationery in co-ordination with local medical authorities and international organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); training of staff to be able to use the latest techniques of patient management; and awareness-raising activities such as field visits, posters and preventive health campaigns.
As the complex is limited to primary healthcare with no surgical capacity, QRCS has said it will review the referral process with competent authorities and contract some nearby hospitals that have ambulances. Also, fuel and rented ambulances may be secured.
In a statement, Dr Abdul-Rahman Jahaf, director of the Sanaa Health Bureau, praised the humanitarian role of QRCS in Yemen, particularly the contributions to the health sector. “Our brothers in QRCS are always there to offer help. My heartfelt thanks for contributing to the medical services provided for IDPs in Yemen.”
Dr Abdul-Fattah al-Mahdi, medical officer at QRCS mission in Sanaa, said: “At QRCS, we have a humanitarian mandate of making available and improving ambulatory and life-saving services. We will maintain the IDP medical centre for six months. It is our pleasure to join hands with the MoPHP in providing IDPs with effective services.”
The mass displacement wave and scarce health services in the war-torn country have put thousands of lives at risk. This, in turn, puts additional pressure on health facilities in the host destinations, which lack the capacity to deal with the increasing number of IDPs, the statement notes.
“The health conditions in IDP shelters are alarming,” explained Dr Ahmed Shadoul, WHO representative in Yemen. “The situation is exacerbated by the breakdown in the disease screening system as a result of insecurity. This is added to the lack of qualified health workers and financial resources.”
In Aden, Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Amran, Sanaa, Hajjah, and Saada, the living conditions at shelters weighed negatively on the health conditions of many IDPs, particularly those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, kidney failure, cancer and hypertension.
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