‘Hospitals received 30% more patients after Syrian influx’

AMMAN — The number of patients visiting public hospitals and health centres has increased by 30 per cent as a result of the Syrian crisis, Health Minister Ghazi Zaben said on Tuesday.

Zaben added that the influx of refugees has placed pressure on the health sector, especially in governorates that host the largest number of Syrians.

The minister’s remarks were made during a meeting with EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Fontana, to discuss several projects funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (EUTF Madad), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The minister noted that the Kingdom’s health sector has exerted efforts, in light of hosting a large number of refugees, to maintain Jordan’s positive health indicators. Zaben said that trying to maintain these indicators, under difficult economic conditions, has come at a cost. 

He expressed his appreciation for the EU and donors’ support to Jordan, especially for the health sector, calling for an increase in assistance to meet the real and exceptional costs that the Kingdom bears. 

Fontana stressed that Jordan has played a large role in hosting refugees, since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis. 

The ambassador noted that EUTF Madad was established to act as a flexible tool to respond to provide assistance to development projects in countries affected by the Syrian refugee influx.

He added that the EU is aware of the challenges facing the Kingdom, and is keen to sustain support to Jordan to help it overcome such difficulties.