A doctor at your door step ... Supporting emergency medical services during COVID-19 in Jordan

Facing a global pandemic is never an easy task for any country, and Jordan has been implementing extreme measures to contain the spread of the virus and to prevent an outbreak among its citizens and residents. In compliance with the World Health Organisation recommendations regarding the importance of social distancing and minimising the number of outings in crowded places, providing alternative and comfortable solutions could play a major role in adhering to such rules, especially when it is related to healthcare and the safety of people involved.

The health sector is the main defence mechanism in this battle against COVID-19 and all efforts must be employed to support and empower this sector, and that is what pushed Jordan Paramedic Society to activate its voluntary Emergency Medical Team (EMT Jordan) to support the Emergency Medical Services in Jordan and decrease the load on healthcare providers while dealing with a global pandemic.

Since its establishment in 2012, Jordan Paramedic Society always aspired to advocate for paramedics and the importance of supporting the emergency medical services at any time, and especially in times of crisis. The Emergency Medical Team is composed of a number of highly qualified doctors, nurses and paramedics who are willing to participate and provide support in times of need. 

Following the COVID-19 spread in Jordan, The Emergency Medical Team took part in supporting The Civil Defence Teams by the presence of a doctor inside ambulances to respond to cases that require minor medical interventions inside homes without the need for hospital and emergency rooms admissions that could increase the risk of infection spread and the burden on health care providers who are already dealing with COVID-19 Cases.

The aim is to minimise the number of unnecessary or urgent hospital admissions by the presence of an equipped and qualified doctor who can deal with most minor cases, provide guidance and direct the transportation of the cases that are urgent and require special medical interventions. The team was distributed across different cities in Jordan such as Amman and Jerash and has dealt with more than 2104 Cases since it’s activation in mid-March 2020.

Adhering to social distancing and staying at home rules is a vital tool in compacting the effect of this virus on Jordanians and helping the health sector and healthcare providers in the fight against COVID-19, Jordan Paramedic Society will continue to support the emergency medical services, the activation of voluntary medical teams’ culture and its awareness spreading campaigns to reach everyone in hopes of defeating this pandemic soon with the least amount of loss and load.