AMMAN — The Jordan Medical Association (JMA) seeks to put an end to assaults against doctors by directly referring violators to the Attorney General’s Department, JMA President Hashem Abu Hassan said on Tuesday.
A total of 25 cases of violence against doctors on duty were reported in 2013, most of them in public hospitals, Abu Hassan told reporters.
“The association, the Ministry of Health and the judicial authority cooperated to find a radical solution for this issue; violence against doctors on duty is now considered a crime,” he said.
In the past, Abu Hassan noted, the doctor and the assailant used to file complaints against each other.
“The association hired two lawyers to defend doctors in such cases,” he said.
Doctors found guilty of malpractice should be punished according to the law; however, no doctor should be suspended before undisputed evidence of malpractice is presented, Abu Hassan noted.
He added that 170 complaints were filed against doctors in 2013, of which, 24 were over fees.
The JMA, he said, works to defend the rights of its members to guarantee their economic and professional security, adding that association representatives are scheduled to meet with Health Minister Ali Hiasat next Sunday to discuss the situation of public sector physicians.
“Doctors working at the Health Ministry should not to be referred to retirement before the age of 65 unless they are in administrative posts,” Abu Hassan said.
The JMA also seeks to increase the financial incentives awarded to public sector physicians, he added, noting that the ministry hired more than 600 doctors over the past three months.
“Experienced Jordanian doctors are sought after in Arab Gulf countries, which means that the association and the ministry have to improve the living conditions of these doctors so they remain in the Kingdom,” he said, adding that public healthcare facilities treat around 65 per cent of Jordanians.
