Jordanian field hospital for obstetrics, neonatal care to receive patients in Gaza by mid-November

AMMAN — The Jordanian field hospital for obstetrics and neonatal care in Khan Younis will be sent to Gaza in four phases, with completion and patient intake expected by mid-November, Director General of the Royal Medical Services (RMS) Brig. Gen. Yousef Zureikat announced on Thursday.

This hospital, the first of its kind in the world as a field unit, will be deployed under Royal directives and directly supervised by the Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF), in cooperation with the RMS and the US-based organisation Pious Projects, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

During a press conference held at the King Hussein Medical City, where the hospital is being prepared, Zureikat explained that the facility will operate as part of the existing Jordanian field hospital dubbed as "Khan Younis 4" that already started performing advanced and complex surgeries and includes two mobile clinics to support amputees.

 Zureikat stressed that this initiative reflects His Majesty King Abdullah's commitment to supporting Palestinians and alleviating their suffering.

The field hospital will be equipped with four operating theatres, including one for caesarean sections and another for natural births. It will also have five resuscitation beds, 30 post-partum beds and 10 neonatal incubators, he noted.

The RMS director general added that the hospital will be fully equipped with living quarters, dining facilities and other amenities, as well as a solar power system to ensure continuous operation during power outages.

A team of 82 specialists and nurses from the RMS, including 55 female staff, will run the hospital. 

Although the exact number of patients is difficult to predict, Zureikat assured that all staff are ready to handle a wide range of cases and provide the necessary care to those in need.

He stressed that preparations are underway with JAF and the Gaza Municipality to finalise the location of the hospital, expecting the facility to be operational and ready to receive patients by mid-November.

This gesture is on the heels of the Restoring Hope initiative launched less than a month ago by the RMS to provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in war-torn strip.

His Majesty, Supreme Commander of the JAF, on Sunday personally inspected preparations for the hospital at the King Hussein Medical City.