Background

In 1991 an opportunity opened up to convert an unused government rest house into a branch clinic of the Annoor Sanatorium in Ras-An-Naqb. “Ras-An-Naqb” means “Head of the Negev”, and, overlooking the wilderness of southern Jordan, Ras-An-Naqb is home to many Bedouin people. Patients often come from impoverished families, and many are illiterate. In order to reach this isolated population, the doctor who initiated this project sought to establish an outpatient clinic branch of the sanatorium in this location.

Staff and Activities

Two families and one clinic practitioner serve at the Ras-An-Naqb Branch Clinic. The wives in both families are nurses and assist the clinic practitioner as needed. One of the husbands oversees administration and maintenance, while the other acts as a clinic assistant and is responsible for the development of community health outreach and patient follow-ups for the DOTS program.

The clinic is open from 8am to 1pm on weekdays, and treats an average of 3,300 patients a year, who often come from distant locations such as Aqaba, Kerak, towns of the Jordan Valley along the Dead Sea, and Eastern Saudi Arabia. The clinic focuses on chest diseases and is equipped with basic diagnostic tools that allow treatment of the most frequently seen illnesses. Ras-An-Naqb uses the treatment period as an opportunity to witness for Christ to the Bedouins.

Future Plans and Current Needs

The clinic hopes to implement a larger community outreach and patient follow-up program aided by the recent arrival of the second family to assist at the clinic. Ras-An-Naqb continues to require financial support as it plans to reach out medically and spiritually to an increasing number of primarily Bedouin patients free of charge.