Jordan: Syrians’ access to medical care at risk

Amman / London: Ahead of this week's Brussels conference on Syria, international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urges the international community to scale-up healthcare funding for Syrian refugees in the region.





According to a health access survey conducted by MSF in 2016, 30.2% of adults needing medical care reported that they did not approach medical services with the main reason cited as unaffordability*. Additionally, the average income per household per month was found to be 239 Jordanian Dinars (JOD) (€272) and 79.3% of households reported being in debt.


“When they'd fall sick, I'd take my daughters to the doctor. Now, I do not take them because the cost of a doctor's visit has gone up to 9 JOD (€10.24), which I cannot afford,” says Khalida, a 38-year old Syrian patient.

Some have decided to go straight to pharmacies to avoid a consultation fee. “My wife took our child to the clinic but realised that the rate has changed so they went right away to the pharmacy,” says 43-year old Jamil**. However, the greatest concern for many is being able to afford emergency healthcare or surgery, such as a caesarian section which now costs over 700JOD (€803).

The policy change has also driven more Syrians towards seeking free-of-charge healthcare as a notable 20% increase in the demand for MSF’s maternity and primary healthcare programmes was seen in March, with some patients travelling from further afield to find free services.





**Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

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