August 2020

August 2020 Activities and Updates from UOSSM USA

UOSSM USA Launches Campaign to Build 2 ICUs in Yemen

There are over 14 million people in Yemen at risk of starvation and outbreaks of deadly diseases. Five years of conflict has led to widespread destruction of hospitals, healthcare facilities, water, and sanitation systems, and caused over 230,000 deaths, primarily due to lack of clean water, food, and healthcare services. The COVID-19 outbreak in Yemen, within the current alarming frail healthcare and infrastructure, will have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people in Yemen. UOSSM USA wants to help save lives and support the Yemeni people by establishing two ICU centers to support nearby hospitals to be able to treat the people affected by COVID-19 in Sana’a and Aden. The ICU centers would help provide life-saving support to those who need it most.

Please click here if you would like to support this campaign.

UOSSM Launches First Project for Isolation Centers in Northern Syria

UOSSM launched its first project for isolation centers in northern Syria. The project included training medical staff on handling suspected COVID-19 cases. The training was provided to staff in 13 medical facilities in the northern Syria region. UOSSM continues to implement an emergency plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the following measures:

  • Supporting primary health care centers (PHCs)
  • Establishing and operating community-based isolation centers (CBICs)
  • Sterilization of displacement camps
  • Distribution of hygiene kits containing sanitizing and personal care items
  • Distribution of nutrition and food baskets
  • Establishing a distance-learning center in Afrin
  • Distributing educational awareness brochures about COVID-19 in areas of displacement.

In addition, UOSSM continues to provide awareness and training on COVID-19 to medical and administrative personnel.

UOSSM Provides Mental Health Services to Underserved Areas on  Syria-Turkish Border

UOSSM launched a complete package of mental health and psychosocial support services to underserved areas on the Syrian-Turkish border. Services  include outpatient clinics for mental health consultations and the support of two mental health mobile clinics with the goal of reaching underserved communities with vital mental health services.

UOSSM Opens Kidney Dialysis Center in Tal Abyad

UOSSM, in partnership with the Orfa Health Directorate in Turkey, opened a kidney dialysis center in the National Hospital in Tal Abyad. It is the only center of its kind in the area and provides free kidney dialysis services to patients that suffer from kidney disease.

Impact Story- Baraa is Now a Confident, Happy Child!

Baraa had difficulty enunciating words due to a congenital malformation. Because of this, she had low self esteem and self confidence. She visited the UOSSM Mental Health Clinic in Maarat Masreen’s Primary Health Care Center. Her visit showed she had low self-esteem. She was embarrassed to speak in front of her classmates and afraid of being made fun of, because of how she pronounces words. As a result, she would avoid playing or speaking with friends.

A specialized treatment plan was developed for Baraa, which included daily pronunciation sessions at home led by the child’s family, and a weekly visit to the clinic. Our team also met with Baraa’s teacher to coordinate with her to raise Baraa’s self-confidence by encouraging her to participate in class activities. Baraa’s treatment ended once she was able to pronounce the letters she struggled with, regain her self-confidence and be able to participate in all of her class activities without fear of being judged. Thanks to your support Baraa is now a happy and confident child. Together, we are saving lives and building hope.

Since 2012, UOSSM has been providing emergency medical relief and healthcare services to the Syrian people affected by the crisis, working primarily inside Syria and with Syrian refugees in Turkey.

In 2019:

  • UOSSM provided medical services to almost 1.5 million people in Syria and Turkey
  • UOSSM provided primary health care services to over 235,000 people
  • UOSSM provided protection services to over 29,000 people
  • UOSSM provided over 93,500 beneficiaries with nutrition services focused on
    women and children
  • UOSSM Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services provided care to over 34,000  people
  • UOSSM Bab Al Hawa Hospital provided health care services to over 1 million patients since establishment through the end of 2019