QRCS, UNHCR support health care for refugees in Yemen

For the fifth consecutive year, the office of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) in Yemen is carrying out a project to enhance health care for refugees.Targeting a population of 50,630 refugees, the project’s annual budget is QR5,049,403, co-funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and QRCS.The project is aimed at providing comprehensive health care for the refugees registered with UNHCR, by upgrading infrastructure at two health facilities in Sanaa, as well as improving referrals to secondary and emergency health care departments at government and private hospitals/medical centres.Since 2019, QRCS has been providing Al-Rahbi and Al-Hafi medical complexes in Sanaa with medical equipment and consumables and logistics to ensure that refugees and the local host community have access to primary health care services. These include free-of-charge medications, medical examinations, maternal and child health services, vaccination, mental health, and health education.Since the beginning of the project until October, the two health centres received 61,8011 refugees and 125,714 locals.Dr Khaled Mohamed Awad, director of Martyr Al-Hafi Complex, commended the support, which enabled the centre to resume work."The project helped support the centre with medical equipment, office furniture, periodic medications and laboratory solutions, hygiene tools, maintenance, electricity, water, and stationery,” he explained. "This translated into better health services and stable employment of 63 medical and administrative professionals. I would like to thank UNHCR and QRCS. I hope that the support provided will be doubled, so that we can develop the complex in the future”.Dr Ahmed Mohamed Issa, director of Al-Rahbi Medical Complex, commented: "The complex received new equipment for the laboratory and emergency departments. Continuous availability of medical needs allows refugees and Yemeni citizens to receive appropriate health services and saves them the burden of treatment and medication costs. The project substantially maximised the quality of our services”.The project also made remarkable progress in referring refugee patients for secondary and clinical health care at Al-Thawra, Al-Jumhuri, and Al-Sabeen Hospitals, as well as specialised medical facilities and clinics. So far, 17,024 patients have been referred and 3,010 minor and major life-saving surgeries performed. This was particularly beneficial for the patients with heart disease, kidney failure, and cancer, as well as those in need of psychological support, in the face of high costs of treatment.Early in 2023, QRCS’ office in Yemen gained the trust of UNHCR to proceed with the joint project for the coming year. Dr Hamza Al-Shaibani, the project’s manager, said: "QRCS’ mission got the best ranking among 29 local and international organisations that applied for partnership on the project. Retaining the partnership with a UN agency is a great thing, thanks to our qualified personnel, transparency, and effective performance”.