Attachments
In January 2018, 57% of much needed referrals for life saving admission for medical referrals to appropriate treatment in Jordan were not approved.
Only 65 out of a total of 113 were admitted. This resulted in delays in appropriate patient treatment, and refusals in some instances for patients in need of emergency life-saving interventions.
These delays have unfortunately resulted in, inter alia, a seven month’s pregnant woman with life-threatening intrauterine foetal death being delayed admission for two weeks, exposing her to risk of sepsis and death.
In addition, lack of approval for companions accompanying children, where families did not wish to approve for babies entering alone, resulting in the death of one 10-day-old baby due to severe malnutrition, and the prolonged suffering of two children with serious burns. A five year old boy with eye trauma in need of medical treatment to save his sight was not approved for admission, and has subsequently partially lost vision as a result.
The UN is willing to scale up services to 24/7 and provide additional services, including the possibility to undertake C-sections at the clinic and is seeking approval from the Ministry of Health. The UN also acknowledges that not all cases can be treated at the clinic, and there will remain the need for some emergency patients to be referred to appropriate health services in Jordan. The UN continues to advocate for the retention of admission possibilities to minimize unnecessary loss of life.