my feeling zone

Iraqi Minister of Health Saleh Hasnawi on Thursday inaugurated a health liaison office at the Iraqi embassy in Amman to facilitate procedures for Iraqis seeking treatment in Jordan, an Iraqi diplomat told The Jordan Times.

Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Saad Hayyani said the office, which is run by Iraqi doctors, will be responsible for receiving, arranging accommodation for and admitting Iraqi patients to the Kingdom’s public or private hospitals.

“Through this office we will also coordinate with the Jordanian health sector on issues related to training provided for workers in the sector,” the Iraqi ambassador noted.

However, Hayyani said no statistics are available regarding the number of Iraqis who receive medical treatment annually in the Kingdom.

“I do not have specific figures of how many Iraqis receive treatment in Jordan. But there are some patients who are covered by the Iraqi government and others who pay for their treatment,” he said.

According to the Amman office of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), medics affiliated with the organisation in Jordan have conducted some 800 plastic surgeries for Iraqis since 2006.

Colin McIlreavy, MSF’s head of mission in Amman, told The Jordan Times that these procedures were conducted for Iraqis who were burned and disfigured in bombings and attacks in their country.

He noted that these surgeries are classified as “complex” and are conducted in cooperation with the Jordan Red Crescent Society.

According to Private Hospitals Association figures, 45,000 Iraqi patients received medication in the Kingdom’s private hospitals in 2007, while the figure dropped to 39,000 in 2008.

Jordan is home to roughly 500,000 Iraqis, according to various official and unofficial statistics, with around 47,000 recognised as refugees and registered with the UNHCR. Classified as “guests”, Iraqis are afforded essential services such as free education and access to healthcare.