30 November 2017
The Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) mobile clinic is a vital lifeline for Palestinians in the Jordan Valley. Thank you to all those who contributed to the appeal. We have now reached the target to purchase a replacement vehicle and can keep this crucial service on the road.
Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley, in Area C of the West Bank, are routinely prevented from building permanent infrastructure, including health clinics. Consequently, there is not a single permanent healthcare centre for the approximately 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C.
The MAP mobile clinic brings doctors, nurses and community health workers- an entire GP clinic in a van- directly to 27 Bedouin communities in the Jordan valley.
After 10 years on the road, the mobile clinic was struggling to reach the communities it serves, breaking down several times and struggling to drive long distances over rocky tracks. We asked our supporters to raise £140,000 to save our service and were overwhelmed with the response.
Thanks to the generosity of MAP supporters, we have raised the funds for a brand new mobile clinic. This will enable MAP to continue serving vulnerable Bedouin communities for another ten years. We will continue to share updates about the new mobile clinic as soon as they become available.
We spoke to members of the Bedouin communities visited by the mobile clinic to find out more about the difference the continuation of this vital service will make to their lives.
Jamila*: “It is very difficult because we live in metallic sheds. It’s very hot and we get very tired. It is hard because we do not have own plot of land, I don’t have a home I can rely on as shelter and security. We are also always in of fear the Israeli jeeps and settlers that pass by. I have a few goats but they can’t feed themselves, and I still support two of my daughters and one of my sons. Another son of mine died 55 days ago. It is a struggle.”
Jamila: “We used to go to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief Works Agency) clinic in Ein Al Sultan. It would take an hour and half on foot. If one of my children needed treatment, or to get weighed or vaccinated, they would have to make the long journey with me. It’s very hot here, so we would have to lots of rests over the journey.”
Tara: “It is rare to find public transport on the main road near here, and it’s a long journey to Jericho to our nearest clinic. Walking takes a long time, especially for a mother carrying a child. It is so hot and exhausting that we struggle to make it to the hospital. If it’s possible, we walk to another road and take transportation to Jericho.”
Khuloud: “I would have to walk the long journey to the main road and wait for a car. The road is very far from here, so every month when the mobile clinic comes it makes me feel relieved and it saves me a lot of time and effort.”
Tara: “I have been visiting the mobile clinic for over six years now. I visited it when I lived with my parents, and now where I live with my husband. I remember it visiting throughout my childhood. It is very good. When we are sick, me and all the children come and get checked. They provide medication, so instead of facing the difficult journey to Jericho, they provide the health services I need.”
“The health and social workshops they provide are also very good. There are workshops on breast cancer, parenting methods, and what pregnant women should know about their health and the health of the infant. We also had training on first aid and emergency care! It is all really good and useful information that the community benefits from.”
Khuloud: “It really helps a lot, I am pregnant so need regular check-ups so their presence really relieves my worries and I can get my medication from them. I’ve learnt how to breast feed as well. Like, what position to hold the baby in and the benefits of natural breast milk compared to powdered supplements.”
Khuloud: “It’s not just doctors and patients, we see the members of the clinic as family, really. Honestly, it’s both physical and psychological support they provide. Just seeing the members of the clinic makes me excited and smile.”
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*Names changed to protect identity
