April 5, 2016
The day started with another late night; after staying up to follow up reports and help adjust the coming day’s volunteer schedules, I got up early to open the medication room and helped others to get their needed meds for the day. I was scheduled to spend a second day in Irbid, but at a separate location – a smaller clinic with just me, an internal medicine physician, and an ER doc. We saw almost a hundred patients between us in 4 hours; most run of the mill cases, but also quite a few with serious complications such as uncontrolled diabetes, rickets, and psychosocial complaints. The office’s regular physician, Dr. Yousuf, did an amazing job of supporting us, and powered us through the day with coffee and tea.
While SAMS’ volunteers are staffing primary care clinics throughout Jordan, our surgeons and cardiologists are performing life-changing, and life-saving procedures. For the past two days both teams have been performing reconstructive surgeries and opening dangerously obstructed coronary arteries, already having helped over two dozen patients in need.
Yesterday evening ended with a visit to Souriyat Abr Hudood (Syrian Women Without Borders), a private rehabilitation facility in Amman started by six Syrian women that helps Syrian victims of the conflict to recover from their wounds. After a presentation of the excellent work the facility does to help injured refugees regain control of their lives, we enjoyed dinner and then the opportunity to purchase handmade gifts made by the center’s patients.
We are halfway through! Wish us luck as we try to power through the next 72 hours, and help as many refugees as we can.
