Private Hospitals Association, Libyan authorities reach agreement on outstanding dues

AMMAN — The Private Hospitals Association (PHA) reached an agreement with Libyan authorities to pay Libyan patients’ outstanding fees to Jordanian hospitals.

The two sides previously agreed on the calculation of all medical treatment costs at private hospitals, the King Hussein Cancer Centre and the Royal Medical Services, PHA President Fawzi Hammouri said on Saturday.

He noted that the bills reached nearly $350 million (JD248 million), excluding non-medical debts of Libyans, such as their unpaid dues to hotels and companies.

The sector’s representatives told The Jordan Times over the phone that the association would present the total of bills to Libyan authorities, headed by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who expressed his country's commitment to paying the dues.

The documents will then undergo auditing, said Hammouri, noting that there are no set dates for these steps.

The two sides also did not agree on a payment mechanism yet, he added.

Meanwhile, he said, Libyans expressed their willingness to pay the previous dues of their patients, whether ill or war-wounded, to resume the entry of more patients to Jordan, within planned treatment allocations.

The entry of Libyan patients is currently suspended due to the unpaid dues.

Commenting on other nationalities' outstanding fees, Hammouri noted there were also some remaining unpaid dues from Yemeni patients who have received private healthcare in the Kingdom.