Jordanian field hospital in southern Gaza begins operations

AMMAN — Medical personnel at the Jordanian field hospital in southern Gaza on Monday began receiving patients and delivering medical and humanitarian services in the war-torn Strip.

The hospital's commander said the teams launched operations early Monday, beginning treatment and monitoring of various medical cases, according to a Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) statement.

He noted that the facility is equipped with a wide range of specialised clinics, including general surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and burn surgery, orthopaedic surgery, paediatrics, maxillofacial surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, neonatal care, anaesthesia, and intensive care.

The hospital also includes a mobile prosthetic limb support unit as part of the “Restoring Hope” initiative, he added.

Launched in the autumn of 2024 upon directives by His Majesty King Abdullah, the “Restoring Hope” initiative has transformed hundreds of lives in Gaza through the medical cadres of the Royal Medical Services of Jordan, working currently at the Jordanian field hospital in southern Gaza.

The initiative's Mobile Amputee Support Units (MASUs) bring "high-quality" prosthetic care directly to patients in challenging environments, "dramatically" reducing the time from injury to mobility.

The Restoring Hope initiative has achieved remarkable results in its initial phase, with nearly 415 patients fitted with prosthetics in the first six months. Some patients have averaged 4,000 steps within one week of fitting. This has been part of ongoing patient monitoring and support.

In addition, more than 40 prosthetists have been trained in rapid-fitting techniques and smart monitoring. Integration with electronic patient records has enhanced follow-up care across the discipline and enabled e-consultations with Jordan specialist centres for trauma and rehabilitation.

Residents and patients expressed deep appreciation for the humanitarian efforts, praising His Majesty King Abdullah’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people and their just cause.

They also commended the JAF for their dedication and the vital medical and humanitarian services provided on the ground.

Jordan runs two military field hospitals in Gaza, one in the Strip's north, which was established in 2009 following the war in 2008.

The second was established in Khan Younis in the south in November 2023 at the peak of the Israeli war of aggression on the coastal enclave that erupted on October 7, 2023.

Besides the field hospitals in Gaza, the JAF established the Jordanian field hospital in Nablus in late November 2023. It has conducted over 900 surgeries and has received more than 83,000 patients ever since.