Health Ministry signs agreement to rent private hospital

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health on Saturday announced renting an entire private hospital and signing contracts with 30 private hospitals to use ICU beds to accommodate increasing COVID-19 cases, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Secretary General of Primary Health Care Administration Ghazi Sharkas noted that occupancy rates in hospitals are still acceptable, as they reached 40 per cent for regular beds, 55 per cent for ICU beds, and 30 per cent for ventilators.

Sharkas also added that the ministry has increased hospitals’ capacity by securing 1,000 additional regular beds and 200 ICU beds, stressing that field hospitals are currently under construction and will be ready within a month, Petra reported.

The ministry signed deals with international companies responsible for the production of COVID-19 vaccine which would cover 15 per cent of the Jordanian population, Sharkas noted.