Razzaz opens Bashir Hospital’s new $25m emergency building

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Monday said that the government will conduct periodical and surprise visits to Al Bashir Hospital as a measure to ensure that it becomes “an icon public hospital and a model for public health in the Kingdom”.

During a ceremony to unveil a plaque marking the opening of a new emergency building, Razzaz stressed that developing the services of the healthcare sector, including the Amman-based Al Bashir and other public hospitals, is at the top of the government's priorities, adding that Jordanians will be continuously updated on efforts to improve the quality of provided health services.

The new 2,000-square-metre emergency building, constructed at a cost of $23 million and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will be equipped with the latest and most advanced equipment, with a capacity of 147 beds, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Health Minister Ghazi Zaben highlighted that the new addition meets the urgent needs of Al Bashir Hospital due to the growing number of patients it receives, noting that the public hospital deals with some 50,000 cases per month.

Minister of Public Works and Housing Falah Omoush noted that this project comes in line with the government’s plan for employment in terms of the job opportunities created, voicing his appreciation for the US’ support to improve the health and education sectors in the Kingdom.

USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator in Washington Kerry Pelzman said that the agency’s support for the expansion is part of the effective partnership between Jordan and the US, underscoring that the ongoing cooperation between USAID and the Health Ministry has contributed to developing healthcare services offered to both Jordanian citizens and residents of the Kingdom alike. 

The hospital, which was inaugurated in 1954 and is considered one of the ministry’s largest hospitals in the Kingdom, has 1,110 beds, employs 3,125 people and received 584,000 patients through its emergency department and 560,000 through the outpatient clinics in 2017, according to the Health Ministry.