Jordan: Government to rectify public hospital situation

Citation

(2008), "Jordan: Government to rectify public hospital situation", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 21 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2008.06221eab.009

Jordan: Government to rectify public hospital situation

Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 21, Issue 5

Keywords: Quality healthcare, Manpower shortage, Service provision

“The government will take a series of measures to find solutions to the administrative and technical obstacles and problems facing Prince Hamzah Hospital,” Prime Minister Nader Dahabi said.

Touring the facility yesterday, the premier also said the Health Ministry is required to prevent such impediments in hospitals being constructed.

Prince Hamzah Hospital has been in the news recently after an ER patient was found dead in an unused X-ray room two days after he was rushed to the hospital by a Civil Defence team. A judicial report pinned most of the blame on the administration and nine staff members have been indicted in the case, including its director.

The Jordan Medical Association staged a rally yesterday protesting the prosecution of the medics.

The premier was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as saying the government would work on streamlining the facility’s situation and put it back on track to serve its original goal – providing quality healthcare to people.

Dahabi, who chaired a meeting at the hospital attended by ministers of health, public sector reform, and public works and housing, along with the hospital’s director and other officials, promised to address the manpower shortage in the relatively new institution.

The inauguration of the hospital was delayed several times because of the lack of medical cadres. The situation did not change when it was opened in late June 2006, according to earlier news reports.

Dahabi also requested Minister of Health Salah Mawajdeh to provide him with a new draft regulation for the 400-bed hospital. The legislation, he said, should address all the technical and administrative impediments facing the hospital and ensure it more autonomy, especially regarding hiring staff.

Also yesterday, the prime minister instructed the Health Ministry to carry out a study on the need of Al Zarqa Public Hospital, which is under construction, to prevent the occurrence of the problems faced by the Amman-based hospital.

Dahabi stressed that the process of constructing public hospitals should run parallel with plans to provide them with qualified staff.

During the tour of the hospital, including the ER, Dahabi listened to patients’ comments on the services they are offered.

Director of the hospital, Sami Dleimi, said the shortage in the medical staff affects the quality of services offered.

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