SYRIA: BRINGING HEALTHCARE TO VILLAGES THROUGH MOBILE MEDICAL TEAMS
Maram, a 58-year-old married woman with five children, lives in a village in the Lattakia governorate. She works in sewing to generate income for her family, while her husband is a farmer. Unfortunately, her village lacks a health center or any medical facility, forcing residents to travel for hours to reach the nearest one. The transportation challenges in their area, compounded by the high cost of fuel, make accessing healthcare extremely difficult.
"I can't even remember the last time I had a medical check-up. If it's not urgent, we don't visit the health center because transportation is really costly and often unavailable. When someone in the family gets sick, it's an extra burden. We have to visit the doctor, buy medicine, and pay for transportation" Maram explained.
Recognizing the urgent need for healthcare services in such villages, Action Against Hunger, funded by the Disaster Emergency Committee, has deployed a mobile medical team. This team, equipped with necessary medical supplies and staffed by medical professionals, visits these remote villages to provide essential healthcare services and refer cases to the nearest health center. Maram's village is one of the beneficiaries of this initiative.
Each mobile team consists of two General Practitioner, two nurses, a midwife, a Health Educator, and an Admin Data Entry. They offer a range of medical services, including treatment, awareness programs, counseling, and screenings for various health conditions.
For the many villagers unable to visit a medical center, the mobile clinics provide much-needed relief.
"The team conducted a general medical check-up, tested my blood pressure, and screened for diabetes. Thankfully, my results were fine, which gave me great relief, as I was worried about my health condition lately. This service is essential for our entire village. I deeply appreciate it and hope such initiatives continue in our community," Maram said.
