Urgent medical care is not a privilege!

“In the winter, the situation becomes unbearable. It’s true that water doesn’t enter the caravan, but it’s still extremely cold. Even when we light charcoal in a bucket, it has little effect, especially at night. My children are sick all the time because of the cold,” Noor said.

Noor and her husband, Ra'ad, are Syrian refugees who fled Syria due to the conflict, seeking safety for themselves and their children. Since arriving in Jordan, the family has endured numerous hardships. They struggled to afford school transportation for their children and were unable to pay rent, which ultimately led to their eviction. Their belongings were seized by the landlord until they could pay the accumulated rent, forcing Ra'ad to sell his possessions, “I had to sell my household items, like our refrigerator, washing machine, gas cylinders, and other belongings, to pay part of the rent," Ra'ad said.

But the most difficult moment came when Noor, seven months pregnant, was working on the tomato farm to provide for her children and support her husband, she said “I had to work to feed my children at least bread and tomatoes". While carrying a heavy basket of tomatoes, she experienced severe pain and bleeding.  Due to challenges in covering transportation costs, Noor was unable to go to the hospital immediately and delayed her visit three times despite experiencing bleeding. When her bleeding worsened, she was finally rushed to the hospital, where doctors informed her that she needed to deliver the baby immediately through an emergency C-section. The delay in seeking medical attention had serious implications for her situation. Noor had to undergo a hysterectomy, and the premature baby needed to spend six days in neonatal intensive care.  

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Financial constraints is the greatest barrier for refugees to access healthcare in Jordan. Although registered refugees get subsidized rates, the costs for treatment and transportation are still too high. This is what Ra’ad experienced, and the hospital costs added to the heavy burden weighing on his shoulders, “I told the hospital staff to keep me there because I couldn’t afford the fees, which were more than 600 JD, an amount I could never afford. I had no solution. They refused to provide me with a birth notification for my daughter because I hadn’t made the payment”.

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Medair’s life-saving intervention lifted some of the burden from Ra'ad's shoulders by covering all the hospital costs. “If you hadn’t intervened, it would have been a disaster because I’m already in debt and still owe money to some people. Can you imagine my situation if Medair hadn’t paid the hospital costs?" Ra'ad said. Once Medair paid the bill, the hospital provided me with a birth notification report and I was able to issue the birth certificate. Noor expressed “If it hadn't been for Medair, we wouldn't have been able to pay until now, and my baby would have remained unregistered forever. I was overjoyed; it was a huge burden that had been breaking my back. The aid came at the right time, exactly when it was most needed.".

In addition to the Cash for Health intervention, Medair’s Community Health Volunteer provided one-on-one awareness sessions on breastfeeding, maternal and child health, and proper nutrition for Noor and her children. "The baby was born very small, almost a kilogram, I didn’t expect her to survive. Medair's health volunteer came and guided me on breastfeeding and how to take care of my baby. They also helped me understand anemia in mothers and children and taught me how to maintain my health and my children’s health through proper nutrition as much as possible," Noor said.

Ra'ad, the sole provider for his family, relies on seasonal work. However, he is currently unemployed because his agricultural permit has expired, preventing him from working elsewhere. This has left the family in severe financial distress.

Recognizing the family’s urgent needs, Medair’s health team referred Ra’ad to the cash-based intervention team for cash and case management services. Through this support, the family received cash to help cover essential expenses such as food, rent, and other necessities. Additionally, they were provided with guidance on how to manage the funds in the best way to maximize the benefit for their family.

"Our meals mostly consist of tomatoes and bread since we can get tomatoes from the farm. None of our children attend school because we can’t afford transportation," Noor said.  

To further assist the family, Medair team referred them to another agency that could support them with school transportation, ensuring their children could return to the classroom and continue their education. Through Medair intervention,  Ra'ad and Noor were provided with the support they needed to overcome some of their hardships.  

Medair’s Cash for Health intervention provides support for mothers in need, ensuring their access to safe deliveries. Coupled with awareness sessions on key nutrition and newborn care practices, Medair’s intervention aims to ensure maternal and child health during the pregnancy and the postpartum period. In 2024, Medair supported 2,631 mothers in their pregnancy and delivery and provided awareness sessions on reproductive health topics to 47,000 beneficiaries.  

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