Triage tent installed at Al Bashir Hospital for non-COVID-19 emergencies

AMMAN — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Jordan Health Aid Society (JHAS) and in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Al Bashir Hospital, has built a triage tent at the entrance of the hospital to assist in dealing with incoming emergency cases.

According to a UNDP statement made available to The Jordan Times on Monday, Al Bashir Hospital, a public institution in Amman, has been receiving an increased number of cases as the city’s other major public health facility, Prince Hamzah Hospital, has been designated to exclusively treat COVID-19 cases.

The tent was established to help relieve pressure on the hospital by receiving 800 patients who have health issues unrelated to the virus daily. 

UNDP Resident Representative Sara Ferrer Olivella said in the statement that Jordan's public health sector has been under “intense pressure” to handle the testing and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

“This pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis, and it is also a humanitarian and development crisis,” she said, adding: “The UNDP’s support in partnership with national partners in Jordan seeks to strengthen the health systems by preventing the spread of the virus.” 

“There are the COVID-19 cases, but there are thousands of other cases that also need care and should not be left behind,” she added. 

The establishment of the tent will enhance the hospital’s ability to handle the large number of patients that come to the emergency room, Director of Al Bashir Hospital Mahmoud Zureikat said, adding that it will also support the hospital in classifying sick cases while preventing the spread of infections of all kinds.

The tent is staffed by medical and nursing personnel of all specialties, he said.

Zureikat praised the initiative to establish and equip this tent by Jordanian Health Aid Society and with support from the UNDP, emphasising the importance of partnership between the government, civil society and the UN in responding to immediate challenges.  

The tent, according to President of the Jordan Health Aid Society Yaroup Ajlouni, is “critical in helping us limit the spread of the disease between patients and staff”.

“The main purpose is to reduce overcrowding, so we have set up the triage tent with physical distancing taken into account. We also want to decrease the pressure on the ER Unit at Al Bashir, which is receiving 1,200-2,000 cases that are not related to COVID-19,” he said in the statement.

The tent is operating on a 24-hour basis over three shifts and staffed by eight doctors and eight nurses per shift, according to the statement.

Medical personnel have been supplied with personal protective equipment, long-distance infrared thermometers and other equipment designed to protect both healthcare workers and patients.

As part of the UNDP’s and partners’ support, medical crew received training on the proper use of protective equipment.  

“Healthcare professionals are working on the frontlines and we need to make sure they are using protective equipment properly to ensure their utmost safety,” Al Ajlouni said.