Bill for treating Yemeni patients reaches JD15 million

AMMAN — The medical bill for treating around 800 Yemeni war patients in Jordanian hospitals has so far reached JD15 million, a sector leader said Thursday.

Yemeni authorities have so far paid almost half the bill, according to Fawzi Hammouri, president of the Private Hospitals Association (PHA), who cited coordination with Yemeni officials regarding payment.

Around 60 to 70 per cent of the patients were discharged from hospitals, Hammouri told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

Nonetheless, the treatment plan for some of them requires physiotherapy follow-up sessions and complementary surgeries, he said, explaining that orthopaedic operations are usually performed in two to three stages.

The physician expected more Yemenis injured by war to arrive in the Kingdom for treatment purposes. 

However, the PHA has agreed with Yemeni officials that they will not send large numbers of patients at once, therefore avoiding overwhelming the hospitals and running up large bills.

“Several hospitals in safe Yemeni areas are being rehabilitated to accommodate the injured,” Hammouri said.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, Hammouri cited the high quality of medical service provided in Jordanian hospitals and the competitive prices as major attractions to Yemenis and Arabs seeking treatment in the Kingdom.

Over 55,000 Libyans had also been treated in the Kingdom’s hospitals, at a total cost of over JD140 million.

He added that Jordanian doctors and medical staff have gained experience in dealing with war patients throughout years of receiving such cases from various conflict zones in the region.