FIFTH REPORT - World Health Organization

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION 255
The share of the central Government was 364 100 000,
local authorities covering the rest. About 84 % of the
total health expenditure was spent on current account
and about 16 % on capital account. Of the government
health expenditure, 265 000 000 Israeli pounds were
spent on hospitals and 15 000 000 on health administration.
In all, the per capita government expenditure
on health amounted to 134 Israeli pounds.
JORDAN
Population and other statistics
At the last census, taken in November 1961, the
population of Jordan was 1 706 226. Population
estimates and some other vital statistics for the years
1969 -1971 are given in the following table:
1969 1970 1971
.
Mean population 1 600 000 1 634 000 1 695 500
Number of live births 73 443 76 828 77 758
Birth rate (per 1000 population) . . 45.9 47.0 45.9
Number of deaths 6 430 6 808 7 233
Number of infant deaths 1 865 1 698 1 607
Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live
births) 25.4 22.1 20.7
Number of deaths, 1 -4 years . . . . 901 860 691
Death rate, 1 -4 years (per 1000 population
at risk) 4.48 4.25 3.0
Number of maternal deaths 37 36 41
Maternal mortality rate (per 1000 live
births) 0.5 0.47 0.5
East Bank only.
The communicable diseases most frequently notified
in 1972 were: measles (1050), whooping -cough (286),
infectious hepatitis (221), influenza (220), dysentery,
all forms (188), meningococcal infections (129),
typhoid and paratyphoid fevers (70), poliomyelitis
(59), scarlet fever (14), tickborne fever (11), diphtheria
(8).
Organization of the public health services
The overall responsibility for the public health
services in Jordan rests with the Ministry of Health.
The Minister of Health is assisted by the Under -
Secretary of Health. The following directorates
operate in the Ministry of Health: technicial services,
pharmacy and supplies, dental health, nursing services,
health services, and administration. The Directorate
for Technical Services has three sections, dealing
respectively with curative medicine, preventive medicine,
and statistics. They are subdivided to cover
most aspects of the health services in the country.
Hospital services
In 1971 Jordan had 35 hospitals and other inpatient
establishments providing 1850 beds, of which 1250
were in 20 government establishments. The bed/
population ratio was 1.1 per 1000. The 1850 beds, to
which 67 442 patients were admitted during the year,
were distributed as follows :
Category and number
Number of beds
General hospitals 19 1 070
Rural hospital 1 63
Maternity hospitals 5 150
Paediatric hospital 1 60
Tuberculosis hospitals 3 116
Mental hospital 1 100
Surgical clinic 1 123
Hospital for internal medicine 1 72
Ophthalmological hospital 1 34
Ear, nose and throat hospital 1 28
Rehabilitation hospital 1 34
Outpatient care facilities were available in 1972 at
the hospital outpatient departments, 12 polyclinics (of
which six had some hospitalization facilities), 11
health centres, 309 dispensaries, 30 medical aid posts,
and five mobile health units.
Medical and allied personnel and training facilities
In 1971 Jordan had 826 doctors, of whom 278 were
in government service. The doctor /population ratio
was one per 2090. Other health personnel included :
Dentists 117
Dental assistants 35
Pharmacists 241
Pharmaceutical assistants 291
Veterinarians 3
Midwives 150
Assistant midwives 350
Nurses 355
Assistant nurses 1 376
Sanitary engineers 3
Sanitarians 2
Assistant sanitarians 82
Physiotherapists 9
Laboratory technicians 10
Assistant laboratory technicians 152
X -ray technicians 71
The University of Jordan is establishing the first
medical school in the country. The first class of
students started their training in basic medical sciences
in the medical faculty in 1973.
The arrangements for the training of health personnel
in Jordan are as follows:
Category
and admission
requirements 1
Laboratory technicians .
Physiotherapists . . .
Radiographers
X -ray technicians . . .
Laboratory assistants .
Dental auxiliaries . . .
Duration Number of Number of Number of
of study schools students graduates
(years) (public) 1971/72 1972
2 1 18
2 1 8
2 1 13
2 1 13
2 1
2 1
1 All categories must possess a certificate of secondary education.
18
8
13
13