New centre to offer air ambulance services in Jordan, neighbouring countries

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday chaired the first meeting of the Air Ambulance Centre’s board of directors.

The centre was established following directives by His Majesty King Abdullah to provide air ambulance services in the Kingdom.

His Majesty has donated two helicopters to be utilised by the centre and will cover their maintenance expenses for two years.

During the meeting, held at the Prime Ministry, the board decided to appoint Mohammad Btoush as director general of the centre.

Board members also discussed the goals the centre will seek to achieve in rescuing and transporting injured people, especially from remote areas to specialised centres, in addition to helping relevant institutions perform their duties in saving lives.

Fawzi Hammouri, president of the Private Hospitals Association, expressed his appreciation of the Royal gesture to donate the helicopters.

Hammouri, a board member of the centre, said the helicopters are “mobile hospitals” since they are equipped with the tools required to treat patients and take them to hospital within a short time.

He also stressed the importance of the centre in increasing the medical sector’s competitiveness, especially since the helicopters will not only be used inside the Kingdom, but also to airlift injured people from neighbouring countries to receive treatment in Jordan.

The centre will sign contracts with parties wishing to benefit from its services such as private hospitals, international commissions and insurance companies, according to the board.

These institutions will pay for the service, so that the centre can cover its expenses and pay the salaries of its employees.

The centre will also set the standards for constructing helipads and send them to hospitals wishing to benefit from air ambulance services.

The centre’s helicopters will be deployed in locations near areas expected to require air ambulance services, such as the southern and eastern regions of the Kingdom, the board said.