Kurdistan Red Crescent maintains its health service provision through mobile clinic in Jazira

As a part of the comprehensive health campaign initiated two months ago, the mobile clinic of the Kurdistan Red Crescent maintains its activities in the villages of al-Jazira region starting from Derik, Qamishlo, Amuda, Ad-Darbasiyah up to Hasakah with the purpose of providing medical service and health awareness to the inhabitants suffering from remote and hard-to-reach health centers.

The mobile clinic has been equipped with all the necessary items such as supplies, equipment, and necessary drugs that will ensure provision of health care services in villages. There is a group of doctors and health experts who work at the clinic providing medical examinations, counseling, and health education. Services of examination and diagnosis are available in the clinic daily in the areas of gynecology, pediatrics, and internal medicine. This involves checking the blood pressure and blood sugar level, controlling chronic conditions, and conducting early diagnosis of breast cancer. Those patients who need further treatment are directed to the hospitals for free follow-ups.

Apart from the necessary medications, the team distributes infant formulas and diapers to children from 1 day up to 3 years old.

It is in this regard that Dr. Suzan Nabo, a member of the Kurdish Red Crescent Center, mentioned the following: "This campaign was started two months ago after we saw the hardships families have to go through in getting to cities and health centers. Our main objective was to start this campaign to reach villages and offer them healthcare services rather than adding more hardships for the family."

The summer sicknesses are a major aspect of this campaign. With increasing temperatures in the summer that sometimes surpass 45 degrees centigrade, the focus is on heat sicknesses and the scarcity of water in order to prevent heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and food poisoning. The campaign includes monitoring of common sicknesses in summers like brucellosis, typhoid, gastroenteritis, and heatstroke, and prevention of snake and scorpion bites.

There have been more cases of diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and gastroenteritis, apart from some skin problems, during our rounds, especially those that are caused by high temperature and humidity.

Their duties are not restricted to giving treatment; they are also involved in organizing awareness and health education for the parents, especially women, in order to reduce the incidence of diseases.

Advice to manage the heat wave

Several suggestions were provided by Dr. Suzanne Nabo among which is the increase in the intake of water and fluids in adults and children, avoiding going out under the sun at peak times, not eating food that is left uncovered, and making sure that the water used is clean and safe as water plays a critical role in minimizing the spread of intestinal diseases during summertime. The mobile clinic visits the villages in the area every day as per a schedule published via the communes and village mosques while receiving warm welcome from the locals considering its importance as a means of assistance especially due to the high cost of transport.

ANHA