The English Hospital
The English Hospital in the city of Salt is considered the first modern medical clinic in Transjordan. It was founded in 1883 by the Church Missionaries Association, thanks to a special donation of 600 pounds by British citizen Henry Wright. The clinic began its work by opening a pharmacy under the supervision of a Syrian doctor. Its doors were opened five days a week and closed when the doctor was absent during his summer vacation. Treatment was not limited to medical examination and treatment but also included surgical operations.
In view of the success achieved by the dispensary, it was decided to expand this medical activity, develop the pharmacy, and convert it into a modern hospital. This hospital was established in 1904 when Doctor Sidney Gould, Nurse Nora Fisher, and Pharmacist Najeeb Al Qubaisi transferred them to Salt Hospital, bringing with them the hospital equipment that was transported on camels. From Acre to Salt, Najeeb Al-Qubaisi is the first Jordanian pharmacist. He was born in Salt in 1886 and obtained a pharmacy degree from the Syrian Evangelical College (currently the American University) in 1905. He opened a pharmacy in Salt in 1927 and died in 1957.
Al-Salt Hospital began its work with eleven beds and was run by a doctor. Medical treatment was not limited to the people of Al-Salt alone; patients came from various regions, including Najd, Hauran, and Karak. The number of hospital beds increased to 16 beds in 1907. The hospital was closed in 1908 for several months due to the absence of the supervising doctor on leave and in In the same year, the hospital began to take admission fees from patients other than the indigent. In 1913, for the first time in the history of the hospital and the history of Transjordan, a female doctor was appointed, Sharawat Burnel. This doctor had a great deal of experience in the gynecology branch, as she devoted two days to treating women and children for the first time. The opening of a women’s pharmacy that provided services twice a week
In 1920, a piece of land was purchased in the stairs area to build a new hospital to keep pace with health progress, and in 1924, a new building was constructed for the outpatient clinic, and a new ward for men was opened containing nine beds. On July 11, 1927, an earthquake occurred in the country, which led to a crack in the hospital building. The association responsible for it could not carry out the required repairs due to the financial hardship it was going through, so His Highness Prince Abdullah at that time provided financial support to keep the hospital open.
Among the specialized services provided by the hospital was the opening of the first clinic for children’s care in 1928 in the Al-Jada’a neighborhood of Salt, and in 1933 it was decided again to close the hospital by the Missionaries Association for purely financial reasons, but soon the Jordanian government provided the required financial assistance to keep this medical edifice open, despite financial hardship. The association was able to collect the necessary funds from Britain and Jordan to build a new hospital, which was inaugurated in 1938 in the presence of Prince Abdullah and the British Commissioner in Jordan.
The old building of the English Hospital is still standing and was recently restored by the Holy Land Foundation for the Deaf and Dumb and allocated as a regional training center for signal trainers for the deaf and dumb.
