For refugees settling in Jordan, access to public health care is almost non-existent, and without it, it has an immediate impact on their quality of life. Irbid Camp, one out of the 10 Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan has the largest prevalence of people with chronic health problems. This mean 16% of the overall camp population have serious health conditions that need medical treatment. According to the FaFo report of 2013, 44% of Palestine refugees in Irbid camp, Jordan, don’t have health insurance. And with the recent influx of 1.4 million Syrian refugees, escaping the Syrian Civil War, it makes matters more difficult to get access to health care. With periodical checkups, preventable illnesses could be stopped. Some refugee children are slowly going blind due to congenital cataract; a condition that clouds the lens of the eye to the point of blocking ones’ vision and if not corrected early on, leads to permanent blindness.
In collaboration with Mercy Without Limits (MWL), Eye Doctors from Amman, Jordan provided free comprehensive eye exams and corrective eye surgeries to refugees in Irbid camp. Refugees with congenital cataract who don’t have insurance were able to have their eye lens treated to prevent blindness. Over the course of just two days, our team of doctors were able to provide eye care to over 560 patients. The specialized doctors performed 10 eye surgeries and provided medical care to over 300 children. In addition, 250 men and women received finically medical assistance. Not having insurance should not mean someone will become blind. With your continued support, MWL and professional doctors in refugee camps can continue to provide medical check-ups and necessary surgeries to treat eye conditions in children, adults, and elderly.
