The King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) has received accreditation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a collaborative centre for training in the Middle East, representatives from the two institutions said on Tuesday.
The KHCC is the second centre in the region to receive the organisation’s accreditation, after a facility in Iran, and was selected due to its distinguished services and expertise, according to WHO representative in Jordan Hashem Zein.
The KHCC received a four-year accreditation starting November 25, 2010 and will be used as a training centre in the fields of pain treatment, early detection of cancer cases, nursing, and life support, he said at a press conference yesterday.
In addition, the two institutions signed an agreement under which the KHCC will be used as a research centre in the region and will draft a regional strategy to combat cancer to which countries of the region can refer in crafting policies.
KHCC Director General Mahmoud Sarhan said WHO’s aim in selecting KHCC as a collaborative centre is to help empower other countries in the region by training them in cancer treatment and helping them improve health infrastructure.
Also at yesterday’s press conference, Sarhan announced that planned expansion work at the centre will start in six weeks and is expected to be finished in 30 months.
According to the director, the centre is built on 27,000 square metres of land and has 170 beds, while the new facilities will constitute 83,000 square metres and accommodate 200 additional beds.
Khetam Malkawi
Jordan Times