A beacon of hope for Yemenis struggling to access health care in a neglected area

Basic health care and referrals, free of charge

MSF supports the management of medical emergencies in the health center’s emergency room, including the stabilization of war-wounded patients and victims of road traffic accidents before they are referred to another facility for additional care. With the support of MSF teams, the center also provides regular outpatient consultations, prenatal and postnatal care for women, health promotion activities, and pediatric care including nutrition screening and vaccination. Low vaccination coverage has led to the emergence of vaccine-treatable diseases in the community.

“A lot of the cases that we treat at the center here require referral to another health facility or hospital for additional care due to absence of secondary care here,” says Dr. Abdulhakim Mohammed Farhan, MSF’s project medical referent. To respond to this growing need, this year MSF initiated an ambulance referral system that allows patients to be transferred to another hospital free of charge. Given Mafraq Al Mokha’s situation in the mountains, the nearest major hospital is about 25 miles away.

Most cases are referred to Mokha’s general hospital, where MSF runs a maternity facility and pediatric ward, or other health facilities in Taiz governorate. Many patients suffer from malnutrition or need additional maternal and reproductive care, says Dr. Abdulhakim.

Bringing care to a neglected area

Between January and July this year, more than 1,562 patients were treated in the emergency room of the health center in Mafraq Al Mokha. During that time, more than 9,473 patients were treated in the outpatient clinic, with 915 women receiving prenatal and postnatal care. The team also treated patients suffering from communicable diseases as well as 488 with dengue and more than 965 with malaria, Noor being one of them.

Following a recent increase in the number of acute watery diarrhea and cholera cases in Yemen, MSF set up an observation and stabilization tent in Mafraq Al Mokha with a capacity of two beds. Between April and July, teams treated 1,089 patients, some of whom were referred to MSF’s cholera treatment center in Mokha city for additional medical care.