Health
From The Report: Jordan 2012
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With one of the best health care sectors in the Middle East, Jordan is the regional leader for medical tourism. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is working to boost efficiency and reduce wasted expenditure through initiatives such as the development of an e-health platform. This will provide an electronic platform for the storage, retrieval and updating of electronic health records, and will be rolled out across the kingdom’s public health facilities. Another key focus is the expansion of health insurance, with plans in place for everyone in the country to be covered within the next 5-10 years. Lastly, with the country needing more qualified medical staff to meet demand, the government is making efforts to train and recruit new doctors and nurses.

This chapter includes interviews with Dr Awni Al Bashir, President of the Private Hospitals Association; and Raed Shadfan, CEO of Atlas Medical.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A clean bill: One of the region’s leaders is looking to increase efficiency and capacity
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With one of the best health care sectors in the Middle East, Jordan is the regional leader for medical tourism. Private-sector facilities host patients from both the region and further afield, and provide an important complement to public sector services. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is financially constrained – as are all public sector bodies in Jordan – however, it is working to boost efficiency through initiatives such as the development of an e-health platform, and to expand capacity…

Analysis

Treating the region: Medical tourism attracts investment to the sector
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Ranked by the World Bank as the world’s fifth-strongest medical tourism destination – and the best in the MENA region – Jordan is known for having an accessible, affordable and high-quality health care system. Although regional unrest has recently reduced the inflow of patients to Jordan, a rising number of Libyan medical tourists bodes well for 2012. REGIONAL HUB: “In 2010 around 90% of Jordan’s medical tourists came from the MENA region,” said Dr Awni Al Bashir, president of…

Interview

OBG talks to Dr Awni Al Bashir, President, Private Hospitals Association (PHA)
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Interview: Dr Awni Al Bashir What role is the private sector playing in health care provision in Jordan? DR AWNI AL BASHIR: At the turn of the 20th century, all hospitals in Jordan were foreign missionary and Baptist clinics. The first government hospital was established in the 1950s. The private sector became more involved in the 1980s, and in 1984 several private hospitals joined forces and created the PHA. The PHA was designed to help private clinics advance shared interests (as is still true…

Interview

OBG talks to Raed Shadfan, CEO, Atlas Medical
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Interview: Raed Shadfan Due to the small size of the kingdom’s economy, local firms in this industry are export-oriented. Over the last decade, the majority of medical devices from Jordan were delivered to countries in the MENA region, but this export profile is changing for several reasons. First, recent turmoil has reduced demand in key markets like Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Libya. Moreover, in the GCC nations, where demand for medical devices is quite high, sector regulations are currently difficult…