When conflict forced hundreds of thousands of Syrian families to flee across the border into Jordan, Dr. Amjad Othman, a dentist in Amman, chose to bring his professional skills directly into the refugee camps. Over the past decade, Dr. Amjad has dedicated his time and expertise to treating severe dental diseases, restoring chewing ability for elderly residents, and helping displaced families regain their health and self-esteem. His long-standing partnership with local volunteers has transformed a simple clinic in the Zaatari refugee camp into a sustained healthcare movement that now reaches Syrian, Palestinian, and Gaza refugee families.
Relief from severe pain in Zaatari Camp
In 2012, as crowds of displaced people poured into northern Jordan, Dr. Amjad led dental outreach initiatives into the Zaatari refugee camp while serving as vice president of the dental association in the Ministry of Health. Alongside his eldest son, Mohammad, who is also a dentist, he established a humble clinic consisting of two prefabricated cabins and two dental chairs. One cabin served as a treatment room, while the other housed sanitation and sterilization equipment.
Operating three days a week, the modest setup treated between 70 and 80 patients daily. For many camp residents, dental care was entirely out of financial reach. Dr. Amjad recalled one patient, a Syrian woman who had been unable to sleep for three months due to an infected tooth requiring surgical extraction. After Dr. Amjad removed the tooth and ended her months of agony, the woman reached out in tears to kiss his hand. Gently declining, Dr. Amjad told her that he was the one who was grateful for the opportunity to serve.
LEFT: Dr. Amjad Othman and his wife, Ola Abu Al Khair, attend the 2026 Annual TIMA Confernece, marking their fourth participation. | Photo: Chun-Hsien Lin RIGHT: Accompanied by Chen Chiou Hwa (right), Dr. Amjad Othman (center) joins the annual conference in Taiwan. | Photo: Chang-Wu Wang (王章伍)
Restoring health and nutrition through custom care
In 2018, Dr. Amjad partnered with Tzu Chi Foundation volunteers, led by CEO of Tzu Chi Jordan, Chiou-Hwa Chen (陳秋華), to expand the scope of dental services. Beyond emergency extractions and fillings, the collaboration focused on full-mouth dentures for elderly refugees who had lost all their teeth. Without teeth, many refugees could not chew solid food and were forced to swallow meals whole, resulting in chronic digestive problems and malnutrition.
By sponsoring complete dentures for ten senior refugees every month, the project helped patients chew comfortably again, improving their overall health and daily quality of life. As needs grew, Dr. Amjad organized a professional medical team to handle regular outreach days. His team also assisted two young brothers in the camp who lived with severe mobility impairments, providing them with motorized wheelchairs to restore their independence.
LEFT: Ola Abu Al Khair shares how her mother taught her to help those in suffering, inspiring her support for her husband's work. | Photo: Chang-Wu Wang RIGHT: Chiou-Hwa Chen leads the four-member Jordan medical team back to Hualien for the annual meeting. | Photo: Chun-Hsien Lin
Expanding medical outreach across borders
When new displaced families arrived in Jordan from Gaza in 2025, Dr. Amjad's team organized special dental clinics at the Al Fanar Hotel. At the site, Dr. Hiba managed clinical care while Ms. Mariam, a trainee from the Tzu Xin House (a Tzu Chi-supported residence for single refugee mothers and children), served as a dental assistant. Mariam's progression from a care recipient to a skilled assistant reflected how compassionate support empowers individuals to help others.
To ensure long-term sustainability, Dr. Amjad renovated a room inside his own medical practice, establishing a dedicated Tzu Chi dental clinic equipped with mobile units. The clinic officially opened on July 29, 2026, providing ongoing care and follow-up treatments for 160 to 200 refugee patients every month.
We receive the strength to help patients from Master Cheng Yen. Without Tzu Chi's support for these patients, their suffering would be far heavier. — Dr. Amjad Othman, Dentist
LEFT: Chiou-Hwa Chen (third right) and the Jordan medical team pose with Chih-Min Wang (王智民) (second right), a long-time supporter of Tzu Chi Jordan. | Photo: Chang-Wu Wang RIGHT: Participants sing and dance during a cultural evening at the Hualien Jing Si Hall courtyard on September 25. | Photo: Bao-Chin Wen
Global knowledge sharing at the TIMA Conference
From September 24 to 26, 2026, Dr. Amjad and his wife, Ola Abu Al Khair, joined 414 medical professionals from 16 countries at the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) Annual Meeting in Hualien, Taiwan. Accompanied by Chen, Dr. Amjad participated in the dental specialty workshop, exchanging clinical experiences with practitioners worldwide.
During the sessions, dental teams from Australia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, the United States, and Cambodia presented innovations in mobile care, electronic medical records, and community clinics. Dr. Alice Lu (盧以欣) shared Australia's 25-year history of refugee dental care and the recent opening of a 10-room community health center in Brisbane, while Dr. Kenneth Liao (廖敬興) described mobile clinic operations in New York. For Dr. Amjad, exchanging insights with international peers reinforced his commitment to advancing dental care for vulnerable communities in Jordan.
Written by Bao-Chin Wen (溫寶琴), Zhih-Yi Lin (林芷儀)
