Category: Health

His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, on Monday inaugurated Latrun Military Hospital in Juwaideh, in south Amman.

King Abdullah listened to a briefing, attended by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Hneiti, on the hospital’s capacities and the Royal Medical Services’ development plans.

His Majesty toured the 6,700 square metre facility, which has a capacity of 105 beds.

The hospital includes emergency, operations, internal diseases, intensive care, and radiation wards, as well as several specialised clinics.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Health announced on Monday that lung function testing laboratories have recently opened in a number of hospitals across the Kingdom, primarily serving cystic fibrosis patients.

The laboratories, which the ministry asserted are critical for the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease, have been established at Princess Rahma Hospital, Princess Basma Teaching Hospital, Prince Hamza Hospital, AlBashir Hospital, and Karak Hospital.

In this context, Health Minister Firas Hawari patronized a ceremony on Monday celebrating the graduation of health professionals who had received training on lung function testing equipment.

The training was made available through a partnership between the ministry and the United States Agency for International Development-funded Quality Health Care project (USAID).

During the ceremony, which was attended by the Deputy Director of the USAID Mission in Jordan, Hawari pledged that the ministry will make every effort to provide the necessary drugs and modern laboratory solutions to diagnose cystic fibrosis and its genetic mutations through collaboration with a number of international bodies.

He stated that 24 ministry technicians were trained on the operation and use of the new pulmonary testing equipment, which can also perform endobronchial resistance assays on children under the age of six.

The ministry has put in place treatment protocols to ensure equal services for patients at all centers, according to the minister, who also stated that a national directive and technical committees have been formed to monitor cystic fibrosis cases.

The national committee, he added, has started prepping a record to count cystic fibrosis cases, where they live and receive treatment, and the type of their treatment.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Minister of Health Dr. Firas Hawwari on Saturday opened the Sakhrah Comprehensive Health Center in Ajloun Governorate.

Hawwari stressed the ministry’s concern with developing primary health care services in all governorates of the Kingdom, pointing out that the opening of the Sakhrah comprehensive health center is a result of the ministry’s follow-up on the area’s needs for these services and its understanding of their provision mechanisms.

“The Ministry of Health promotes health services efficiently and effectively and develops health care services in the Kingdom to achieve citizens’ satisfaction with these services,” Hawwari emphasized.

He said that the centre was staffed with the necessary medical personnel in several medical specializations.

“It provides therapeutic services such as general medicine, dental, family and women’s services. It also provides other primary health care services such as maternity and childhood services, vaccination, neonatal medical surveys, health enhancement, school health, water and environmental health control” the minister added.

Hawwari valued the significant role played by staff working in health centres and public hospitals, whether medical, technical or administrative, to serve patients and visitors.

For his part, Director of Health Affairs in the governorate, Dr. Tayseer Annab, said that the 2400 square metre health centre will provide services to people and visitors in Ajloun’s Shakra and Ebbin areas, stressing the importance of establishing health centres that meet the conditions and general health bases to improve the level of service provision for visitors and patients.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Four public servants involved in the forgery of coronavirus vaccination certificates are facing multiple charges as the Amman Magistrate Court decided against detaining the defendants.

Public Prosecutor at the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission Muawiya Saeeda charged the defendants with five counts of negligence in performing their duties, wasting public funds, exploiting public office, forging certificates and interfering in the issuance of forged certificates.

The court, chaired by Judge Odai Freihat, asked the defendants to respond to the charges to which two of them pleaded not guilty, another pleaded guilty, while the fourth is still at large.

During the next session, the court is scheduled to hear the Public Prosecution witnesses.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Health Minister Firas Hawari has reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to achieving key health and nutrition goals, such as breastfeeding and feeding children under the age of five and women of reproductive age, as well as reducing the double burden caused by the high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies.

The minister made the remarks on Tuesday at the start of the first scientific forum on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition, which is being held by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Jordan Nutrition Innovation Lab, a Tufts University-led project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Jordan has reduced the prevalence of malnutrition through the rollout of food fortification policies and programs, most notably flour fortification, salt Iodiazation, and a program to distribute vitamin A capsules, according to the minister.

He indicated that Jordan’s health policy is primarily informed by science and dialogue with the local, regional, and international academic community, emphasizing the value this conference adds to the exchange of cutting-edge knowledge and evidence for the advancement of science-based practices.

Sherry F. Carlin, the director of USAID’s mission in Jordan, emphasized that the conference will play a crucial role in establishing a forum for the exchange of information and best practices that will bring about a significant change and paradigm shift in the Jordanian health sector, particularly with regard to maternal and child nutrition and health indicators.

Carlin revealed that the Jordan Community Health and Nutrition Project, which is funded by USAID, had recently launched the first local Lactation Consultant Certification to promote healthy breastfeeding practices.

In addition to empowering women, she asserted that this initiative will help decrease childhood developmental delays, obesity risks, and non-communicable disease rates.

Iman Badran, the chair of the scientific committee of the conference, indicated that the event aims to advance evidence-based practices for healthy diets and nutrition for women, newborns, and young children.

She explained that the three-day conference will examine the most recent scientific evidence pertaining to the health and nutrition of mothers, infants, and young children in Jordan, as well as the synergies between this evidence and current programs and policies.

Officials from the Ministry of Health, United Nations organizations, academics from various Jordanian universities, USAID programming officers, and other nutrition and maternal and child health specialists and researchers will speak at the conference.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The global caseload of the coronavirus has surged to 580.6 million, as of Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update, the University revealed that the current global death toll climbed up to around 6.4 million, with the total number of vaccines globally administered reaching 11.98 billion jabs.

Source: Jordan News Agency

An Asian worker, in his thirties, died due to a snakebite in Masharii’ area in Northern Jordan Valley, Irbid governorate.

Director of Abu Obaidah al-Jarrah Public Hospital Muayed Shkour told Petra that the Civil Defense Department (CDD) cadres transferred the worker to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Source: Jordan News Agency

-Environment Minister, Muawiya Radaideh, and the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) Director, Rob Verheem, on Sunday signed a cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in Jordan.

The MoU aims to enhance Jordanian Ministry of Environment’s efforts in improving EIA’s effectiveness and include strategic environmental assessment as a tool for integrating the environmental dimension at an early stage in preparation of national strategies and plans.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Radaideh said the ministry seeks, through this joint cooperation, to enhance and sustain natural resources, align comprehensive plans and launch development strategies.

For his part, Verheem lauded the ministry’s role to ensure that EIA studies address all pressing challenges, such as climate change and water scarcity.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, on Sunday met the UK Chief of Defence Staff’s Senior Advisor to the Middle East & North Africa (DSAME) Air Marshal Martin Sampson and the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting held in Amman, Huneiti discussed ways to enhance joint military cooperation relations and coordination mechanism in areas that serve the two countries’ armed forces.

A number of senior Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF)- the Arab Army, and British ambassador to Amman attended the meeting.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Adviser to the Prime Minister for Health Affairs and Covid-19 file, Dr. Adel Belbisi , announced the 23th epidemiological week for 2022, which spans from June 4 to 10, recorded 402 Covid-19 infections, compared to 334 cases for the previous week, up by 20%.

In statements to “Petra” on Sunday, he said no virus-related fatalities were recorded over the 23th week.

In addition, he noted 12,430 PCR tests were conducted during the 23th week, compared to 15, 071 during the past week, with a 18% drop.

Belbisi also said the number of cases currently receiving treatment at the Kingdom’s hospitals reached 3, compared to 4 patients a week earlier , with an increase of about 34%.

The percentage of positive tests reached 3.2%, compared to 2.2% during the 22th epidemiological week, up by about 46%, he said.

To date, the number of active cases is 322, compared to 241 a week earlier, an increase of about 34%, he noted.

Regarding the national vaccination programme, he said the number of shots administered during the 23th week stood at 4, 897 for the first jab, 8, 801 for the second, and 2, 051 for the booster dose, totaling 15, 716 shots, compared with 17, 597 shots a week earlier, marking a 11% drop.

The total number of first dose recipients stands at 4, 794, 837, at a 75% rate of the 18yrs and over target group and 4, 520, 846 for the second jab, at a 71% for the same group and 662, 446 for the booster dose, he noted.

Regarding inoculation for the 12-17 age group, he said 236, 116 received first dose at a 25% rate, and double jabbed recipients reached 196, 260, at a 20% rate. Meanwhile, the 5-11yrs age group, 246 and 174 children received the first and 2nd doses, respectively.

Source: Jordan News Agency