JORDAN’S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR WORK TOGETHER ON MEDICAL TOURISM

Jordan’s government bodies are working with private organisations to develop medical tourism.

After many years of paying little attention to medical tourism, Jordan’s government bodies are working with private organisations to develop medical tourism.

The Ministry of Health now has a medical tourism department and recently opened a medical tourism help desk at Queen Alia International Airport to help medical tourists and their companions reach their treatment destinations and to fast track critical cases. The desk, set up with the help of the Ministry of Interior and the Jordan Tourism Board, will also provide insights and data about medical tourism services.

The Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Interior and the Private Hospitals Association and the King Hussein Cancer Centre to promote medical tourism.

The World Bank ranks the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) as the sixth best cancer treatment centre in the world. KHCC in Amman is the only specialised cancer centre in the Middle East treating both adult and paediatric patients. KHCC is a non-governmental, not-for-profit cancer centre with 148 beds and treats 2300 new patients per year. The mission is to provide state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer care to the people of Jordan and the Middle Eastern region.

The Ministry of Tourism is working with others to develop clear marketing policies for tourism and medical tourism in Jordan. It is looking at ways to direct patients to private hospitals, have a system to classify private hospitals, and provide credibility and transparency.