Prepared by: Dr. Musa Ajlouni January, 2010 - World Health ...

2. COUNTRY HEALTH SYSTEM2.1 Governance of health systemJordan has one of the most modern health care infrastructures in the Middle East.Jordan’s health system is a complex amalgam of three major sectors: Public, private, anddonors .The public sector consists of two major public programs that finance as well asdeliver care: the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Royal Medical Services (RMS). Othersmaller public programs include several university-based programs, such as JordanUniversity Hospital (JUH) in Amman and King Abdullah Hospital (KAH) in Irbid. Theextensive private sector includes 60 hospitals and many private clinics. Over 1.6 millionPalestinian refugees in Jordan get access to primary care through the United NationsRelief Works Agency (UNRWA). Each of the health care sub-sectors has its own financingand delivery system.The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the major single institution financer and provider ofhealth care services in Jordan. It is the largest in term of the size of its operation andutilization as compared to RMS, JUH, KAH, or other private sectors. The Ministry of Healthis responsible for all health matters in the Kingdom, and in particular: 7a) Maintaining public health by offering preventive, treatment and health controlservices.b) Organizing and supervising health services offered by the public and privatesectors.c) Providing health insurance for the public within available means.d) Establishing and controlling the management of health educational and traininginstitutes and centers according to relevant provisions of the legislationsenacted.The MOH provides primary, secondary and tertiary health care services. Primary HealthCare services are mainly delivered through an extensive primary health care network.MOH also owns and operates 30 hospitals in 11 governorates, with 4333 hospital bedsaccounting for 38.7 percent of total hospital beds in Jordan. 1In addition to its general public health functions, the MOH has a dual financing function.First, it is responsible for administering the Civil Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) whichcovers civil servants and their dependents. Individual certified as poor, the disabled,children below the age of six years, and blood donors are also formally covered underthe CHIP, which covers about 34 percent of population.The Royal Medical Services (RMS) mainly provides secondary and tertiary careservices. It has 11 hospitals (7 general and 4 specialist), 2131 beds representing 19. % ofhospital beds in Jordan. It employs 8.4 percent of all practicing physicians .RMS isresponsible for providing health services and a comprehensive medical insurance tomilitary and security personnel. The Military Health Insurance system currently covers1,500,000 people of whom less than 10% are active military and police personnel. RMSJordan HRH Profile,Musa Ajlouni (Jan 2010) 19