Al Mazar health center provides health services to the residents of Mazar, a highly populated village in the governorate of Karak, and to referred patients from Motah Primary Health Center. During the past year, these services were unavailable in this comprehensive health center due to a lack of staff in these specialties. As part of the role of the CHC to identify the needs of the residents in the area they represent, the CHC communicated this direct need to the Karak Health Directorate. Upon receiving this request, the health directorate immediately allocated specialists to cover the needed specialties on certain days of the week thus responding to the community’s need.

The achievement of this CHC has direct impact on the health of the residents where there are times that citizens neglect visiting the health center due to the unavailability of the services and to the long distances to the public hospital which are costly and tiring. With the services now available, the community can now visit the health center and take advantage of its comprehensive facilities that accommodate their  health needs.

Members of the  CHCs are provided with continuous trainings by the USAID-funded Health Systems Strengthening II project to build their capacity in networking, fund raising and identifying the health needs and priorities of their communities. Al Mazar CHC was formed in 2007 and Motah CHC joined them in early 2012, they now work together in representing the communities of Al Mazar and Motah.

 The hospital renovation was completed by USAID’s Health Systems Strengthening II  (HSSII) project at a cost of US$2.4 million.  The project lasted eight months and will directly impact the mortality rates of mothers and their newborns.  “Improving health services is a top priority for Jordan, and the American people are proud to be part of this effort because it directly improves the lives of average Jordanians throughout the country – especially mothers and children,” remarked Ms. Beth Paige, USAID Mission Director, during the inauguration ceremony.

 The renovation and expansion included the ground and first floors of the hospital and covered 2,950 square meters. It also included the creation of training and health promotion rooms that will be used to  train hospital staff and allow the hospital to teach area families about  maternal and child health.

  The renovation was not limited to improving the physical appearance but extended to meet the functional, infrastructure and infection requirements in accordance with international standards. These changes will improve the quality of essential obstetric and neonatal healthcare provided and  ensure a safe environment for both hospital staff and patients.

 Mafraq Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital has a total capacity of 108 beds and a 78% occupancy rate.  It serves a population of approximately 287,000 inhabitants with a total number of hospital admissions yearly of 9,462.The HSS II project will continue working with the Ministry of Health to complete emergency, obstetrics and neonatal department renovations in another 17 hospitals by the end of 2014.

Salt – Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Abdellatif Wreikat and U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Stuart E. Jones inaugurated the newly-renovated obstetrics and neonatal departments and the outpatient clinic at Al Hussein Hospital, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on Monday, February 13.

The renovations include state-of-the-art medical equipment and furnishings to better ensure the health and safety of the women and newborns of the historic city of Salt. The work was completed in October 2011, with a total estimated cost of $1.8 million – complemented by an additional $500,000 for the equipment and furniture.

In conjunction with the hospital renovations carried out by the USAID-funded Health Systems Strengthening II (HSS II) project, a perinatalinformation system has been introduced, which provides Ministry of Health hospitals and outpatient clinics with an up-to-date database of expectant mothers’ medical history. The networkedinformation system is designed to connect hospitals and outpatient clinics throughout the Kingdom in order to access medical records at any of the networked hospitals and avoid unnecessary or repetitive tests on mothers and increase readiness of service providers to deal with clinical cases, especially women with high-risk pregnancies.

Before the implementation of the system, doctors had to depend on the patient’s memory and understanding of her case for any medicalinformation unavailable at the facility. For example, when an expectant mother was admitted into a hospital for delivery that was different from the one she usually visited, the doctor was unable to view her medical file. Now, through the perinatalinformation system, the doctor can access the patient’s file no matter which hospital she normally visits with the click of the mouse in a timely and efficient manner.

The hospital’s renovations also included expanding and revamping the delivery ward, the operating theatre, the obstetrics department and outpatient clinic from 970 to 2,673 square meters. The USAID-funded HSS II project provided the hospital with medical equipment including neonatal incubators, neonatal resuscitators, delivery and operating tables and vital signs monitors in order to replace outdated and ageing equipment and ensure safety of services.

Mothers-to-be and newborns in Salt will now have a more relaxing and reassuring experience at Al Salt Hospital. “It’s a completely different place now. I delivered my first baby 2 years ago,” said one mother, who just gave birth at the hospital’s delivery ward. “This time with my second delivery, I felt more comfortable and confident, especially with the quality of the service and atmosphere.”

USAID’s five-year, $73.5 million Health Systems Strengthening II project was launched in September 2009 in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Royal Medical Services to enhance the quality and responsiveness of the public health care system in Jordan. The project will continue working with the Ministry of Health to complete obstetrics, neonatal and ER department renovations in another 12 hospitals by the end of 2012.  This renovation is part of USAID’s broader objective of helping to improve the health of all Jordanians, by supporting the Government of Jordan’s efforts to improve health care coverage, access and quality.

With the aim of improving the quality of and access to safe motherhood services in the agricultural village of South Shouneh, on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmad Qteitat, Director of Hospital Administration and Douglas Ball, Deputy USAID Mission Director to Jordan inaugurated the newly renovated neonatal and obstetrics departments at South Shouneh Hospital.

 “We are proud to be recipients of this tremendous gift since it will help us provide essential services to our patients,” commented Dr. Said Al Kharabshe, the Director of the Shouneh hospital that serves 70,000 people and delivers over a thousand children a year.

Prior to the renovation works, the departments covered an area of 132 square meters of the South Shouneh Hospital and had a capacity of 12 beds in the obstetrics department and 6 incubators in the neonatal department. Through the USAID-funded Health Systems Strengthening II (HSS II) project, the departments were expanded to a surface area of 1,972 square meters and have an increased capacity of 16 beds in the obstetrics department and 14 incubators in the neonatal department.

The newly renovated departments are now equipped with lifesaving medical equipment and state of the art furniture which are crucial to the safety and quality of the services provided to the women and newborns of South Shouneh. The upgraded departments will now assist the hospital staff in managing high risk pregnancies/deliveries and will eliminate referrals to hospitals outside the area.

“Together, we have been successful in expanding access to and improving the quality of high priority health care services, especially obstetric, neonatal, and emergency health care,” remarked Douglas Ball, Deputy USAID Mission Director to Jordan during the inauguration ceremony.

Renovation of South Shouneh Hospital started in February 2011 and was completed by October 2011 with a total cost of around $1.6 million and an additional $400,000 for equipment and furniture. The improvements aim at creating a safe and pleasant environment for both staff and patients and enabling providers to expand high quality obstetric and neonatal health care services thus reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity.

The HSS II project will continue working with the Ministry of Health to complete emergency, obstetrics and neonatal department renovations in another 17 hospitals by the end of 2014. Renovation of health facilities inJordanis only one of USAID’s main mandates.  USAID’s primary objective is to help improve the health status of all Jordanians by supporting the government of Jordan to strengthen and institutionalize health care delivery systems by improving coverage and access to needed services to all citizens and providing them with high-quality and client-oriented care.

As part of USAID’s goals to strengthen the ability of national governments to achieve their strategic objectives, its Health Systems Strengthening II project assisted the Ministry of Health in developing job descriptions for all its job categories. The project obtained formal approval from Minister of Health for 441 updated job descriptions in June 2011.

 This achievement was the result of months of intensive work by HSS II in full partnership of senior MOH staff. Prior to this, there were repeated attempts to develop and endorse job descriptions for MOH employees. The product of these trials lacked clarity, and were not standardized or properly categorized thus creating a sense of confusion between the staff on what their roles are and lacked a basis for professional development and performance evaluation. The MOH has been dedicated to gaining accreditation within its health centers in the past and as a requirement for accreditation, the lack of proper job descriptions would have made it an obstacle for achieving the human resources standards.

 The process began with the highest level commitment and leadership of the Ministry of Health (MOH) through a Job Description Steering Committee headed by the Secretary General and comprised of senior directors of central MOH directorates.

“HSS II’s efforts were successful and managed to achieve the task because the process was built on global evidence and followed an extensive participatory approach with MOH.” Said HE the MOH Secretary General while expressing his appreciation to HSS II’s Chief of Party following approval of the job descriptions by the minister.

 HSS II staff facilitated development and implementation of a methodology that included tools for data collection and job analysis of all levels – including management, administration, technical and service provision—identified 441 specific jobs which were categorized into ten families based on function.  Drafting of job descriptions was done through a job analysis survey, and drawing on international best practices, a job description was developed for each and every post, an extensive review process with the ministry and final endorsement by the MOH.

Performance indicators, for annual performance review, were also included. MOH managers were extensively consulted throughout this process to ensure suitability and ownership of the job descriptions for the local context.

Although it took many months to complete this task, the final result is a set of clear and comprehensive job descriptions that will serve the MOH well in terms of more effective human resource and performance management. The value of this will continue to be felt for years to come.

Rawa’a, a member of the We are all Jordan Youth Committee and a marketing university student, understood that being a youth herself, she could make a difference to other youth since young people are receptive to information from their peers. She also believed that the topics provided during the workshop were essential to youth ranging in age from 15-21 years. The workshop provides knowledge essential to the health of youth and the skills to practice healthy lifestyles and to promote healthy habits to other youth.  Through the workshop, participants discussed openly issues dealing with them such as stress management, reproductive health and adolescence and most importantly life planning.

“The young people around us have so many questions that they feel they can’t discuss with older people, out of embarrassment and sometimes not knowing where to get answers.” Said Rawa’a. “When somebody like me talks to them and raises these questions, they feel comfortable and open up to us.”

After attending the workshop, Rawa’a developed a plan of action to spread the knowledge she learnt to others. Her plan reached over 50 young people at schools and clubs in a one month period. “The information we learnt from Rawa’a was amazing especially the communication skills and how to relate to our families and talk to them about our health issues and not be shy to discuss them.” Commented Rana Kloob, one of Rawa’s students during the launch of a national campaign in Balqa Governorate.

AMMAN – Minister of Health Dr. Abdellatif Wreikat and U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Stuart E. Jones inaugurated the newly-renovated obstetrics and neonatal departments at Al Bashir Hospital, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on Wednesday, September 21. The inauguration was also attended by Acting Mission Director Dr. Kevin A. Rushing, D.V.M.   

The renovations include state-of-the-art medical equipment and furnishings to better ensure the health and safety of the women and newborns of Amman. The work was completed in April 2011, with a total estimated cost of $4 million – complemented by an additional $2 million for the equipment and furniture.  

In remarks at the inauguration, Ambassador Jones noted that, “Through our strong partnership, the U.S. Government, Government of Jordan, and hospital staff have been successful in expanding primary health services and improving the quality of health services, especially obstetric and neonatal services, and emergency care in Jordan.”

The improvements create a safe and pleasant environment for staff and patients, and enable providers to deliver high quality obstetric and neonatal health care, reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality. 

“I’ve worked in this hospital for 11 years now and the difference is remarkable; the patients say that it feels as if they are in a private hospital and not public,” said Khadija Mohammad, the Head Nurse in the Post-partum Department.

Al Bashir Hospital is located in Amman Governorate and serves a population of more than 2.3 million people. 18,000 babies are born there each year. The renovations conducted by the USAID Health Systems Strengthening (HSS II) project cover 6,100 square meters, and include the Post-partum Department, which provides health care for women after delivery and women seeking family planning services.

USAID’s five-year, $47.5 million Health Systems Strengthening project was launched in April 2005 in coordination with the Ministry of Health and The Royal Medical Services to enhance the quality and responsiveness of the public health care system in Jordan. The project will continue working with the Ministry of Health to complete obstetrics and neonatal department renovations in another 12 hospitals by the end of 2012.  This renovation is part of USAID’s broader objective of helping to improve the health of all Jordanians, by supporting the Government of Jordan’s efforts to improve health care coverage, access and quality.

Amman – With the goal of serving an increasing number of trauma related patients due to car accidents and acute medical illnesses, Dr. Jamil Totanji Hospital in Sahab has undergone extensive renovations and expansion of its Emergency Department.  On Tuesday, H.E. Dr. Deifallah Al Lozi, Secretary General at the Ministry of Health and H.E. Stephen Beecrfoft, USA Ambassador, oversaw the inauguration of the new facilities and congratulated the staff on the additional training they had received. 

 “The environment that we are now working in is like nothing we’ve experienced before,” remarked Dr. Khaled Riyad, Head of the emergency department at Dr. Jamil Totanji Hospital. “The renovation and new flow has created a safe and comfortable place for our staff and patients.”

With the assistance of the HSS II project, the emergency staff was trained on advanced clinical skills including basic cardiac life support, basic airway management, and trauma resuscitation. Additionally, to protect the hospital staff and patients, a surveillance system was installed in the emergency departments making it a first in MOH hospitals. Cameras were installed in the hallways and entrances of the department to ensure the safety of all there.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with the USAID-Health Systems Strengthening (HSS II) project is currently working on upgrading the emergency health care services to meet the international standards of health care quality through renovating and equipping selected Emergency departments in high need areas across the Kingdom.  The emergency department in Dr. Jamil Totanji Hospital is one of the first to be completed this year.  The renovation and expansion covered 1,250 square meters and included an upgrading of the department both physically and functionally.

As part of the renovation, the emergency department was equipped with state of the art medical equipment and furniture which are crucial to the safety and quality of the services provided to patients. On the functional side, the department’s patient flow was restructured to enable timely service for the patient and to allow the emergency staff to efficiently respond to the patient’s needs.  

USAID will continue providing support to upgrade emergency departments at additional MOH hospitals during the coming two years.  USAID’s primary objective in the Health sector is to improve the health status of all Jordanians, and USAID works closely with the Government of Jordan to develop health strategies to meet the needs of a population that is expected to double in the next generation.