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AMMAN — Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour on Wednesday stressed that the newly launched Unified National Protocol for Cancer Treatment will eliminate discrepancies in diagnostic and therapeutic methods across public medical institutions.
The protocol establishes unified medical references, ensuring that all patients receive the same standard of care regardless of where they are treated, Bdour said.
In statements to Al Mamlaka TV on the sidelines of the launch, the minister noted that the project is the culmination of a 17-year effort, marking a major collaborative milestone between the Ministry of Health, the Royal Medical Services (RMS), the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), and university hospitals.
Variations in medical practices across different health centres previously led some patients to prefer specific hospitals due to differing diagnostic approaches, treatments, and drug qualities, Bdour said.
He emphasised that the new protocol standardises these procedures, ensuring cancer patients in any public institution are subject to the same globally approved clinical standards.
The ministry has worked to elevate and harmonise service delivery across all health facilities, ensuring uniformity in diagnosis, treatment, and medication quality, he added, noting that approved drugs will strictly comply with international standards to achieve equity and upgrade healthcare quality.
Bdour also highlighted that standardising treatment protocols will significantly contribute to rationalising healthcare expenditure, particularly given the soaring costs of oncology medications, with some drugs costing up to JD 10,000 per unit.
“Adopting a unified protocol will enable joint procurement operations among the Ministry of Health, RMS, KHCC, and university hospitals,” the minister said, adding that this mechanism will secure larger quantities of medicine at better prices, enhance the efficiency of pharmaceutical inventory management, and curb individual, fragmented purchases.
Furthermore, the protocol will streamline the work of physicians by providing a clear therapeutic reference that outlines precise diagnostic and treatment steps, thereby minimising variations in clinical practices and ensuring consistent procedures across all institutions.
The minister revealed that the actual implementation phase has already commenced, with guidelines distributed to healthcare institutions to serve as a unified reference.
He noted that the current launch marks the beginning of a continuous process to develop, update, and expand clinical guidelines in the coming period.
Earlier on Wednesday, the health minister patronised the launching ceremony of the Unified National Protocol for Cancer Treatment in the Public Sector, which comprises 26 clinical guidelines aimed at standardising therapeutic practices, promoting equity in service delivery, and upgrading cancer care in the Kingdom.
