Medical Tourism in Jordan

An article that sparked my attention today was an article I read in AlGhad news, under the headline "Government undergoes study to lower medical costs for intensive care".

According to AlGhad, the government plans to decrease costs of medical care for patients staying for more than a week in Jordanian hospitals. Dr. Fawzi Al Hammoury, head of the Jordan's Private Hospitals Association, estimates this discount as percentage between 20% and 40% depending on the patients medical situation.

This discount comes as a key in enhancing Jordan's medical tourism, which is not only limited to foreign and Arab patients, but Jordanians as well. Dr. Hammoury noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank now place Jordan within the top 5 countries in the world in the field of medical tourism and the leader in the Middle East.

He also notes that the medical care costs are significantly lower than both Great Britain and the United States with a percentage of 20 - 40%, as well as the neighbouring countries by 5 - 10%.

Middle East News wrote in their article "Jordan pushes medical tourism industry" on Sunday, December 20 - 2009 that: "Jordan has been at the forefront of the medical industry in the Middle East since the 1970s" and "Adding to the kingdom's reputation is the fact that most of its doctors are English-speaking and many have been trained or are affiliated with top US hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins... Other features that make that Jordan a popular healthcare destination are sight-seeing attractions such as Petra and the Dead Sea and the fact that its capital, Amman, is considered one of the cleanest cities in the world."

"Come here, do your surgery. Afterward, have a vacation, visit Petra, swim in the Dead Sea," Dr. Hammouri  said, listing the country's most popular tourism destinations. The hospitals are offering package deals, including air travel. To add to that, Jordan also hosts the only specialized cancer centre in the Middle East, the King Hussein Cancer Centre and Foundation.

I was extremely impressed by our medical facilities and standards upon reading this, and being a current medical student I was inspired to learn more about the international reputation the country has earned and further about the various successes Jordanian doctors have achieved in medicine.