King: All those proven negligent in protecting Jordanian lives will be held to account

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday stressed that all those proven to have been negligent, in the investigation of the deaths caused by oxygen outage at Al Hussein hospital in Salt, will be held to account.

Chairing a National Policies Council (NPC) meeting, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah paid tribute to the lives lost in Salt, stressing that it is absolutely unacceptable to lose a citizen as a result of negligence, according to a Royal Court statement.

Also during the meeting, attended by HRH Prince Feisal, adviser to His Majesty and NPC chairperson, the King said officials or junior or senior employees must be up to the responsibility, or step aside to enable those who want  to serve Jordanians to take their place.

Official positions are for public servants who must serve Jordanians, not a way to offer favours and benefits, His Majesty affirmed.

The King dismissed claims that negligence or corruption is part of the culture in Jordan, stressing that the culture of Jordanians is that of honour and dignity, in line with the values of their ancestors who founded the state.

Expressing understanding of the difficulties facing Jordanians as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, His Majesty said Jordan will overcome these exceptional conditions and economic difficulties, but this requires teamwork.