Background

The Annoor Sanatorium is a hospital dedicated to serving those with little of this world’s goods who suffer from chronic lung disease. It began in 1965 when a doctor and a nurse/midwife were called by the Lord to convert a rented modest two-story home in northern Jordan into a 16-bed hospital for Bedouin nomads sick with tuberculosis. They had particular compassion for the Bedouin people because their nomadic lifestyle often prevented a complete recovery from this chronic disease. Annoor means “The Light", in honor of the Light of the World.

In 1973, the sanatorium was expanded into a 50-bed facility. The hospital is located on a 25-acre plot of land in the desert, a few kilometers outside the town of Mafraq. In God’s providence, Annoor Sanatorium management was able to drill two deep wells which provides water for the hospital and surrounding olive orchards, and creates a pleasant environment conducive to recuperation.

Staff and Activities

The hospital specifically reaches out to chronically ill patients, complementing local medical facilities which are primarily designed to accommodate mainly short-term admissions. Annoor Sanatorium chooses to minister to those who need rest, rather than perform elaborate (and hence expensive and time-consuming) medical evaluations, which are available elsewhere in Jordan. The sanatorium does not admit patients who are unwilling to come in for less than a month, and some patients have needed to stay for as long as 8 months in order to complete their Intensive Phase treatment. This way, strong and deep bonds of love and care are built because of the time spent together. During this period, the staff reaches out to the patients through Bible studies for men and women, worship meetings and the distribution of Christian literature. Although there are many scattered believers throughout the country, there is no indigenous church among the Bedouin people. Thus, the hospital provides the only possible place where present and former patients can meet for spiritual fellowship.

The original goal of the sanatorium was to meet the needs of the under-served Bedouin tribes. With time, the sanatorium has grown to include a much larger patient base. It currently serves patients from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and increasingly from Iraq.

In October 1997, the Annoor Sanatorium was named the country’s official TB center. Here, the DOTS (Direct Observation Therapy Short-course) program that was recently developed by the WHO World Health Organization) is implemented, as it is the only hospital in the country that is fully dedicated to serving TB patients.

The Annoor Sanatoriumis staffed by 5 physicians, 3 voluntary nurses, 4 local nurse aids, and 2 lab technicians.

Each year it welcomes 150-200 inpatients, and about 15,000 outpatients. On average, the sanatorium receives 6 new TB cases per month. The outpatient clinic is open Monday through Friday. In order to maintain manageable patient loads, the hospital limits its practice to chest diseases and to a specific number of diabetics who have not been able to obtain adequate care elsewhere. There are no afternoon clinic hours, and inpatients have a two hour rest period that allows the staff time to see to inpatient needs, administrative matters, records, cleaning and other miscellaneous duties.

There are only token charges for outpatient services and hospitalization. Annoor Sanatorium is registered in the country as a charitable organization, providing inexpensive medical care for low-income patients.

Future Plans and Current Needs

H.O.M.E. hopes to establish a regional “epicenter” at the Annoor Sanatorium, reaching out to Jordan as well as Iraq and Syria by supporting medical projects that would involve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Since the clinic is completely funded through financial contributions from faithful partners and individuals, financial donations are greatly needed to cover the operational expenses of the hospital and to purchase medications, such as anti-TB drugs. These gifts are also needed to fund the additional doctors and nurses needed as the ministry hopes to expand.