Free treatment of cancer patients not cancelled — ministry

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health confirmed that it will continue to refer cancer patients for treatment at King Hussein Cancer Centre if “the condition of [the patient] requires that”, according to a Health Ministry statement. 

Head of the ministry’s health insurance department, Elham Khreisat, denied previous reports that claimed the ministry halted financial coverage of cancer and other chronic diseases’ treatment to reduce expenses.

One report quoted officials as saying the bill paid by the ministry and the Royal Court amounted to JD1.8 billion in five years, citing the deteriorating public finances as the reason behind the cessation. 

Khreisat stressed that the ministry has not stopped transferring insured patients to the centre, as well as those non-insured patients who receive support from the Royal Court. 

She pointed out Jordanian children under six years and citizens above 60 are all fully covered under the civil health insurance system at the ministry's hospitals and health centres.

If the treatment is not available at the state-run hospitals, the patient will be transferred to Prince Hamzah Hospital, army-run Royal Medical Services or King Hussein Cancer Centre, the official added. 

Also, she highlighted Jordanian citizens over 60 years of age are covered with free health insurance and are treated according to the civil health insurance system in the ministry's hospitals and health centres.

Khreisat said that if the treatment is not available for this age group in the ministry's hospitals, the regulations allow them to be transferred to treatment at Prince Hamzah Hospital and Royal Medical Services.