Weight loss surgeries on the rise in Jordan — JMA

AMMAN — Weight loss surgeries are on the rise in Jordan, while efforts are under way to ensure the operations meet the highest international standards, the Jordan Medical Association (JMA) said on Sunday. 

This summer, the number of bariatric operations performed in the Kingdom rose by 10 per cent compared to the same period of the last year, said JMA of the President Ali Abous. 

“The reasons for the growing number of such surgeries are related to the increasing number of obese individuals, whether in Jordan or the Arab region,” Abous told The Jordan Times. 

The “positive” outcomes of the operation, “reasonable” cost and the “reputed” Jordanian medical sectors also contributed to the rise in weight-reducing surgeries, he noted.

Around 10 private practitioners are specialised in the operation, the JMA president said, underlining the need to regulate the practice to prevent medical errors. 

To this effect, an ad hoc technical committee was formed to study the criteria for surgeons who perform weight loss operations, the best bariatric procedures for every case and the standards that should be considered by hospitals in which these surgeries are performed. 

The committee comprises officials from the JMA, the Health Ministry, the Royal Medical Services, universities and representatives of the private medical sector. 

“The committee will determine the number of bariatric surgeries each surgeon can perform a day — whether alone or with a medical team — the type of procedures to be taken in different cases and what qualifies patients for these surgeries,” said Abous. 

He added that a local protocol for weight loss operations will be established by the committee, based on the international protocol.

While Arabs, mostly from the Gulf, are the main recipients of obesity reduction surgeries, people from other countries also come to Jordan for the procedure, according to the JMA. 

“On the other hand, there is fierce competition from other countries in this field,” noted Abous, giving Turkey as an example. 

While acknowledging that the private health sector complains that Jordan is not sufficiently promoted as a destination for weight loss surgeries, the JMA president said the sector itself should take responsibility. 

“They should come up with an international plan and cooperate with foreign companies for better promotion,” Abous said. 

Several Jordanian healthcare centres are accredited by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.