The Kingdom’s medical tourism sector has been ranked among the top five in the world according to a World Bank report.
Jordan ranked first in the region and fifth globally as a medical tourism destination, according to a 2009/2010 World Bank report, said Private Hospitals Association (PHA) President Awni Bashir.
Bashir noted that the ranking system took into account flight routes to the destination, standard of living, availability and quality of medical equipment, and availability of qualified medical staff.
Although patients from 102 countries came to Jordan for treatment in 2010, the medical tourism industry’s potential for growth is limited by the number of hospitals in the country, Bashir said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.
“Available hospitals cannot cope with the rising number of patients seeking treatment in the country, and there is a need for more investment in the sector,” Bashir noted, adding that there are currently 61 private hospitals in the country with two currently under construction.
The lack of a “medical accountability” law has also affected the sector, as it prevents US health insurance companies from referring patients to Jordanian hospitals.
“We treated patients from the US last year, but they came personally without being referred by insurance companies,” Bashir said.
The draft medical accountability law was formed by the Legislation and Opinion Bureau in early 2010, but has yet to be forwarded to the Lower House for consideration.
As for the migration of Jordanian doctors who left the country seeking better salaries, Bashir said some are “willing to come back” should certain conditions be met.
“If we worked more on marketing medical tourism and increasing the number of hospitals, some of the doctors will definitely come back,” Bashir predicted.
PHA figures indicate that 1,200 of the 20,000 doctors registered at the Jordan Medical Association live and work abroad, 250 in the US.
According to the latest report issued by PHA, the number of Arab and foreign patients who received treatment in Jordan increased by 10 per cent last year compared to 2009.
Medical procedures on Arab and foreign patients included organ transplants, open heart surgeries, infertility treatment, laser vision corrections, bone operations and cancer treatment.
By Khetam Malkawi
Jordan Times