Destination country/region: Northeast Syria, al-Hol Camp

Period: March 2019 – June 2023

By setting up and financing an emergency call center (Operation Desk) together with our partner organization, the Kurdish Red Crescent, we were able to significantly improve coordination between medical facilities and with hospitals inside and outside the camp. As a result, patients are treated more quickly at the appropriate health center and their resources are used more effectively and efficiently.

More than 60,000 people live in al-Hol Camp and can receive medical care from mobile teams and at inpatient treatment points, clinics and field hospitals in the camp. Despite this, the medical care situation remains strained. Effective and efficient use of existing resources is therefore imperative.

Operation Desk for smooth transfer of patients

Centralized coordination at the Operation Desk benefits health facilities and patients alike: The former save the effort of finding suitable treatment places for their patients, while the latter get to the facility best suited to their needs more quickly.

The Operation Desk organizes all urgent treatments, emergencies and referrals to hospitals outside the camp with the help of a total of six ambulances. CADUS covers the costs for nine staff members, who ensure the 24/7 operation of the Operation Desk, as well as four drivers and two vehicles.

Handover to KRC

Since May 2021, our partner organization KRC has taken over a major part of the work and managed the Operation Desk. They coordinate the distribution of emergencies and patients and manage the daily work. We support KRC with quality control and monitoring, which means, for example, we analyze the medical cases and identify gaps in the health structure in al Hol or give monthly updates to other health actors.