Patients need easier visa access to boost medical tourism — PHA

ANKARA — Jordan is considered a leading medical tourism destination, but several measures should be adopted to maintain this position, according to a sector representative.

Fawzi Hammouri, president of the Private Hospitals Association (PHA), said the Kingdom had positioned itself as one of the most accessible medical tourism destinations, successfully competing on the global stage.   

But the number of patients has dropped recently, he said, due to difficulties in obtaining entry visas for patients from certain countries.

“Unless action is taken, Jordan will lose many potential patients to other countries that facilitate their entry,” Hammouri told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the Global Health Tourism Summit and Fair that took place in Ankara last week. 

The number of patients from Yemen and Libya dropped by 70 per cent in the first six months of 2016, he said, blaming the decline on the government’s decision to treat Yemenis and Libyans as “restricted nationalities”. 

Overall, the number of patients coming to Jordan from abroad fell by 30 per cent, Hammouri added. 

Under current regulations, hospitals are responsible for providing a “guarantee” for nationals coming from countries with restricted entry to Jordan, he explained.  

But hospital managements cannot always take the risk of sponsoring a visa for a patient whose background they do not know, Hammouri said.  

Some countries, he noted, remove the visa requirement for women and children, and for men aged 50 and above. If Jordan were to adopt this policy, more patients would be attracted to the Kingdom, said the official. 

Meanwhile, losses in the sector will affect employment numbers and the ability to renew medical equipment, he noted.  

At the summit, Hammouri gave a presentation on Jordan’s experience as a medical tourism destination, telling attendees that patients are attracted to the Kingdom’s health sector due to its high reputation, quality services, professional staff and reasonable prices. 

Salma Jaouni, CEO of the Health Care Accreditation Council, gave a presentation on the accreditation of health facilities in Jordan, which she said improves the quality of services and patient safety in the Kingdom’s health facilities.

There are 15 accredited hospitals and 100 primary healthcare centres in Jordan, Jaouni said, adding that the government had recently introduced regulations for the mandatory accreditation of health centres. 

Speaking at the same session, Rami Adwan, chairman of the Jordan Ambulance Air Centre’s (JAAC) executive board, discussed the added value the air ambulance service offers patients by ensuring accessibility to medical care during emergencies. 

The recently established JAAC is a milestone in healthcare in the Kingdom and the region, providing hope for medical cases in remote areas when specialised services are required, according to Adwan.

Established in 2015 as an independent government organisation, the centre seeks to provide specialised rescue services, patient transfer and air ambulance operations, especially for transporting patients from remote areas to hospitals and medical centres.

In 2016, the air ambulance is expected to conduct 70 trips, rising to 300 trips by 2020, said Adwan.

Meanwhile, Michael Nazzal, chairman of Jordan Hotels Association, spoke about hotels as service providers and Jordan as a wellness destination for patients.

Nazzal noted that the Dead Sea has a lot to offer patients as the largest natural spa in the world, with many benefits for seekers of wellness tourism.

The Kingdom is also becoming a leading destination for meditation tourism, he added.