Jordan dispatches mobile clinics to aid Gaza amputees

• JAF to launch specialised women’s hospital in Khan Younis
• Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza distributes food aid to residents 

AMMAN — Jordan on Monday sent two mobile clinics to the Gaza Strip as part of the "Restoring Hope" initiative, which aims to provide prosthetic limbs to war victims.

Launched under Royal directives three weeks ago, the initiative aims to support thousands of amputees affected by the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, according to a Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) statement.

During a meeting with media representatives at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge crossing [with occupied West Bank], Director of Military Media Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hiyari said that the initiative, led by the Royal Medical Services in cooperation with the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and various local partners, has come in response to the escalating number of war-related injuries and the inability of Gaza’s hospitals to handle the surge of cases.

"This is the first initiative of its kind, designed to offer fast and efficient prosthetic limb fittings. We aim to help around 14,000 amputees, with each fitting taking around one hour," the director said.

To ensure accurate medical documentation and long-term care, all procedures will be recorded electronically through the "Hakeem" system, the director said, adding that patients will also have access to remote consultations with Jordanian rehabilitation specialists for follow-up care.

A specialised medical team from the National Centre for Amputation Rehabilitation at King Hussein Medical City has been trained to manage the prosthetic fittings, with the goal of reaching as many injured individuals as possible, the statement said. 

Doctors from JAF has recently said that injuries caused by war in Gaza have reached "horrifying" levels with thousands of amputations among civilians, especially children.

The number of amputees in Gaza has surpassed 15,000, the doctors said, adding the idea behind establishing the mobile unit is to provide on-site treatment to injured Gaza, who have no place to go to have their wounds healed up. 

A prosthetic process usually take three to four months to complete, but with these mobile centres the process will be way a lot quicker, taking no more than one hour, the doctors said. 

They also noted that a limb fitting procedure would cost $1,400 but the  Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation would directly buy the artificial limb prostheses from manufactures and supply them to the mobile units operating in Gaza.

Hayari also announced that the JAF had begun preparations to launch a specialised women’s hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, 

The director highlighted that the hospital will provide a range of women’s health specialities, including surgery and obstetrics, noting that the opening date will be announced once preparations are complete.

Hayari also said that the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza has treated more than 55,000 patients, bringing the total since 2009 to 3.5 million cases. Meanwhile, the Jordanian field hospital in Khan Younis southern Gaza has treated 116,000 cases since November.

Also on Monday, the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza, following Royal directives, distributed food aid to residents of Gaza, as part of ongoing relief efforts led by the JAF in cooperation with the JHCO.

The hospital's commander highlighted that 300 relief packages containing essential food supplies were prepared and distributed to alleviate the hardships faced by Gaza residents, noting that around 1,500 people, including individuals with special needs from the Latin Church, are expected to benefit from the initiative, the commander added.

Gaza residents expressed their deep gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah and Jordan for their continuous support, praising the vital humanitarian and medical efforts of the JAF in the war-torn Strip.