- Title: Refugee doctors support Jordanian government response to COVID-19 crisis
- Date: 13th December 2021
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (DECEMBER 9, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF IRAQI REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, ISRAA HAQQI, EXAMINING A BOY AT A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN AMMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, ISRAA HAQQI, SAYING: "I am Dr. Israa Suaad Haqqi from Iraq. I am a general doctor. I graduated from Mustansiriya University in 2012." HAQQI TALKING TO PATIENT BOY WHILE BEING EXAMINED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, ISRAA HAQQI, SAYING: "It's a great feeling to be able to work as a doctor after a period of interruption. It is very positive for me to continue working in this profession." HAQQI WALKING IN HOSPITAL HALLWAY VARIOUS OF HAQQI WORKING ON COMPUTER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, ISRAA HAQQI, SAYING: "It meant a lot to me to work here in terms of gaining more experience, supporting Jordanian doctors especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and helping people. When people thank me for my efforts, I feel as though I am making a big difference in society." DOCTOR WALKING SIGN READING IN (Arabic and English): "ORTHOPAEDIC ER" PEOPLE GATHERED VARIOUS OF SYRIAN REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, MOHAMMAD ARRAD, TALKING TO PATIENTS ARRAD EXAMINING A BOY ARRAD EXAMINING BOY'S LEG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, MOHAMMAD ARRAD, SAYING: "I am Dr. Mohammad Luai Ahmad Arrad, an orthopaedic surgeon from Syria." ARRAD TALKING TO PATIENT DURING EXAMINATION BOY LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE AND DOCTOR, MOHAMMAD ARRAD, SAYING: "For me, I am back to normalcy. I was forced to leave my country and stay away from my profession. I was like a fish out of water. Water for me is my profession and returning to it means that I've regained my life." ARRAD PUSHING PATIENT ON BED PEOPLE SEATED IN HOSPITAL WAITING AREA MAN PUSHING PATIENT ON BED DOCTOR AND HEAD OF EMERGENCY UNIT AT AL BASHIR HOSPITAL, IMAD ABU YAQIN, WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AND HEAD OF EMERGENCY UNIT AT AL BASHIR HOSPITAL, IMAD ABU YAQIN, SAYING: "It's a good step to integrate these doctors with the local community and to benefit from their experiences. These kinds of experiences, some of which are unique, can help enhance the quality of medical care at the emergency section and in other hospitals especially outside the capital Amman." AMMAN, JORDAN (DECEMBER 7, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF REFUGEE DOCTORS ATTENDING A CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE THE EXTENSION OF THEIR CONTRACTS AT THE JORDANIAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH UNHCR JORDAN REPRESENTATIVE, DOMINIK BARTSCH , TALKING TO ATTENDEES DOCTORS AND GUESTS AT CEREMONY (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNHCR COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE, DOMINIK BARTSCH, SAYING: "I mean look at the message it sends, it shows clearly that refugees are not just waiting for aid to be distributed but they have qualifications they have a contribution to make to society and these six refugee doctors they are working side by side with Jordanian doctors. So it is a very powerful message and I hope it is also a message back to Jordanian society to realize that when it comes to this particular crisis, you know to dealing with COVID-19, that we are all together and we are all supporting each other." BARTSCH STANDING GUESTS LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF BARTSCH HANDING DOCTORS GIFTS
- Embargoed: 27th December 2021 11:56
- Keywords: Amman COVID-19 Jordan Medicine Refugees UNHCR
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001F7VEGYD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Every morning, Syrian refugee doctor Mohammad Arrad checks up on his patients at a public hospital in Amman where he works, after being granted exemption to practice medicine by the Jordanian government.
He is among eight refugee doctors from Syria, Iraq, and Yemen who have started working in hospitals and clinics across Jordan as United Nations volunteers as part of the country’s COVID-19 response.
"I was like a fish out of water. Water for me is my profession and returning to it means that I've regained my life," Arrad, who had to flee his home in Damascus in 2012 and seek refuge in Jordan, told Reuters.
While the doctors were initially supporting medical staff gaps in public hospitals amid a rise in coronavirus cases, they were then distributed around the Kingdom according to their specialities as needed.
UNHCR recently celebrated the extension of these doctors' contracts with the ministry presenting them with the volunteer service award and sending a message that refugees can contribute to their host countries.
Their employment marks a major step forward in creating additional livelihood opportunities for refugees in Jordan and follows months of discussions between the ministry of health and UNHCR about how refugees can contribute to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Production: Muath Freij, Jehad Abu Shalbak) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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