Patients say parking fees at UJ Hospital ‘excessive’

AMMAN — Patients on Thursday complained about “excessive” parking fees at the University of Jordan Hospital, noting that the hourly rate is particularly tough on those spending long periods at the hospital. 

The hospital, located in Sweileh in Amman, charges JD1 an hour for parking, and there are no free parking lots in the area. 

Patient Ahmad Abdallat, who visits the hospital from Zarqa, says the fees are a burden for underprivileged families receiving treatment at the government facility. 

Another patient, Soumaya Zakarneh, said the hospital’s administration should “reassess its priorities” and “bear in mind that people from all governorates travel to Amman for emergency cases”. 

“They should know that people cannot take the extra burden; they already have health problems,” she told The Jordan Times.

Visitor Ali Rawashdeh, who arrived from Karak, 140km south of Amman, on Thursday morning for an appointment at the hospital, added that the cost of fuel to travel to the capital from other governorates was already a financial strain. 

“It’s too much. We have to wait our turn to see the doctor — sometimes for four or five hours; then we pay JD1 an hour. It’s too expensive for someone who lives in other governorates,” he explained.

Abdelhakim Akhoursheideh, the hospital’s deputy director for administrative affairs, said the administration is studying the parking costs after receiving several complaints from patients.

“Although we pay
JD210,000 as annual rent to the university, since the parking lot is the university’s property, we are reconsidering the charge at the car park,” he told The Jordan Times.

He added that the parking lot costs around JD260,000 to JD280,000 annually to maintain, with the addition of the costs of operational fees, accountants and security guards to the rent.  

“When you evaluate the financial status of a centre, you have to assess the pricing strategy, the service and the goods; you have to take into account the operational cost, which is barely covered in this case,” Akhoursheideh said.

“Despite all the financial issues the hospital is going through, we are going to reconsider the fees charged at the parking lot, especially for those who spend more than five hours at the hospital,” he added.

He said the hospital might consider charging 1JD for the first hour, then reducing the fee by 25 per cent for every hour after that.

Akhoursheideh added that the hospital is currently in debt of around JD50 million.