The Chairman of the Private Hospitals Association Dr. Fawzi Al-Hammouri said that the government's decisions to facilitate medical tourism which were approved lifted our hopes to push the demonstration of this important sector and increase number of patients coming to Jordan from the restricted countries, thus increasing the Kingdom's revenues from hard currency and the contribution of the sector in the national economy And will stimulate more investment and job creation for Jordanians.
He added that these decisions will address the decline suffered by medical tourism in the Kingdom during the past three years and have a significant impact on the revenues of the private health sector and other support services.
Dr. Al-Hammouri expressed the hope that government decisions will facilitate the procedures for granting visas to patients of restricted countries and their companions and enter in to force as soon as possible.
He said that these decisions in support of medical tourism have far-reaching effects and are not limited to facilitating visas for restricted nationalities, as the Association has requested many recommendations, which include the implementation of an integrated marketing plan in which all relevant parties will participate, and activate role of Jordanian embassies and health attachés In the targeted countries, and the opening of new markets will be studied to be added to traditional markets, In addition to cooperation with the Jordan Tourism Board which opened a special section for medical tourism, and the establishment of a specific mechanism to ensure the quality of services provided to the patients during all stages before and after the treatment phase of their visit to the Kingdom, and a system to measure the satisfaction of patients and their companions.
He added that cooperation with Jordanian airlines will be conducted to study direct flights with targeted countries and provide benefits and discounts for patients and their companions. He said that hospitals representatives are now allowed to receive patients at the airport that would make it easier for them to reach doctors and hospitals.
The Association called for the Amman Declaration to be adopted to expand the eight-segment health care travel issued by The Global Health Care Travel Forum held in Amman last year. The eight segments are medical tourism, dental treatment, Wellness tourism, spa tourism, Culinary tourism, sports tourism, Accessible tourism), and Assisted Residential tourism, and this will raise the number of visitors to the Kingdom for health travel to more than half a million people.
Al-Hammouri praised the pioneering role played by His Majesty King Abdullah II in highlighting Jordan's status as a unique and safe tourist destination in all aspects of tourism, and his praising Jordan's success as an important destination for medical tourism, and his directives to support the health sector and to do all what is necessary to increase the competitiveness of Jordan and maintain its prominence globally.
Al-Hammouri pointed to the spirit of cooperation that was noticeable from the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Health, Interior and Tourism, Jordan Investment Commission and the Jordan Tourism Board. This confirms the government's tendency to support health sector and benefit from one of Jordan's most distinguished medical reputation.