Jordanian field hospitals in Gaza treat some 500,000 patients since October 7 – JAF

AMMAN — Under Royal directives, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) has mobilised all resources to support the resilience of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since the outbreak of the war against Gaza a year ago.

These efforts have included various medical, humanitarian and relief initiatives that have alleviated the human suffering caused by the difficult conditions in the Strip, according to a JAF statement. 

To improve the health sector in Gaza, JAF has deployed a military field hospital to Khan Younis in the southern region of the besieged Strip.

The army also reinforced the military field hospital in northern Gaza with specialised medical personnel and established a third field hospital in Nablus to provide essential medical services to Palestinians.

Since the outbreak of the war on October 7 last year, some 494,000 patients have been treated in various field hospitals by 193 doctors and 361 nurses. 

These figures underscore the significant humanitarian challenges facing the Palestinian people and the urgent need for immediate action to meet their health and relief needs.

During this period, medical teams at Jordan's field hospitals in Gaza and Nablus performed more than 2,950 major and minor surgeries, including several complex procedures performed for the first time, which demonstrates Jordan's commitment to sending qualified medical expertise to provide advanced medical care to the injured.

To ensure that the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza receives urgent medical supplies, His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of JAF, issued directives to the General Command of JAF to conduct airdrops using Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF).

These operations have delivered significant quantities of medical, humanitarian and relief supplies, marking the third largest logistical support operation in modern military history.

In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, airdrops have been extended to various areas of northern and southern Gaza.

This initiative was highlighted by the participation of His Majesty on one of the airdrops. 

HRH Crown Prince Hussein accompanied an RJAF aircraft to Al-Arish airport, while HRH Princess Salma also participated in the airdrops. 

A total of 122 Jordanian airdrops have been carried out in Gaza, in addition to 266 airdrops carried out in cooperation with other countries, making a total of 388 airdrops since the outbreak of the war. 

Jordan has established an air bridge from Marka military airport to El Arish airport in Egypt to deliver humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza. To date, 53 flights carrying 886,579 tonnes of aid have landed at El Arish airport.

Also, the army, in cooperation with the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and various international agencies, have facilitated the dispatch of 3,535 trucks of humanitarian and relief aid across the land borders. 

This aid included food, medical supplies and other essential items, which aimed at addressing the humanitarian situation in the area.

On September 16, JAF launched the "Restoring Hope" initiative in partnership with two specialised companies to provide new technology for fitting prosthetic limbs. 

Two mobile clinics, provided with all the necessary equipment, were dispatched to Gaza by a specialised medical team from the national centre for amputation rehabilitation, where these clinics began operating two weeks ago.

Under this initiative, the new limbs can be used within an hour of fitting, with the aim of providing some 14,000 injured people with upper and lower limb prostheses.

Continuing Royal initiatives, JAF has recently completed preparations for a specialised military field hospital for maternity to be sent to Gaza over four phases and will be the first of its kind in the world to support the Jordanian field hospital in the southern region of the Strip. 

It will be staffed by 82 medical, nursing, technical and administrative personnel, including 55 members of the Royal Medical Services. The facility will include two delivery rooms, an operating theatre, 30 patient beds, a pharmacy, a laboratory and a blood bank.

It is expected to be ready to receive patients by mid-November, improving health services for mothers and newborns amid deteriorating conditions.

JAF has also had an important role in the evacuation of Jordanians from the Strip, ensuring their safe return through precise logistical measures to guarantee their safety during their exit from Gaza, which is facing challenging security conditions, as well as provided medical care and necessary assistance.

JAF has mourned the loss of personnel in their humanitarian and relief mission, including Corporal Imad Al Aram and Soldier Yahya Othman Al Siyah, who lost their lives while on duty in Gaza.