WHO recently delivered six ambulances to the Ministry of Health to improve life-saving services for the vulnerable population of Syrian refugees and the host community in Erbil in the Kurdistan region. The delivery also included 22 tonnes of health equipment including oxygen concentrators, nucleic acid extraction kits, viral transport medium, personal protective equipment and intensive care hospital beds.
Strong ambulatory and referral services are the backbone of health care services and were urgently needed in Erbil, home to more than 1.8 million vulnerable people.
The ambulances are equipped with GPS tracking systems and essential equipment to stabilize patients with urgent medical conditions, including COVID-19, heart attacks and traumatic injuries as well as patients with other severe medical conditions.
To make this live saving delivery happen, WHO received generous support from the United States Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Government of Kuwait.