'New regulations only apply to Health Ministry ambulances'

By Khetam Malkawi, Jordan Times, Amman

Feb. 22--AMMAN -- New regulations published recently in the Official Gazette governing fees for ambulance use, only apply to Health Ministry ambulances, not Civil Defence Department (CDD) vehicles, a ministry official said on Thursday.

Khalid Abu Hudeib, the ministry's health insurance director, noted that the ministry's ambulances are only used to transport patients from one hospital to another or from a hospital to the airport.

He explained that ambulances that transport patients from their homes to hospitals and victims of road accidents belong to the CDD and do not charge a single "fils".

Starting next month, the ministry will start charging patients who are not covered by public health insurance for the use of its ambulances, Abu Hudeib said.

According to official figures, 87.2 per cent of the population has health insurance coverage, with around 2.5 million Jordanians covered by public health insurance, or 41.8 per cent of the total number of insured citizens.

According to Abu Hudeib, the number of people who ask to be transported from one hospital to another or to the airport does not exceed a score every year.

The rate depends on the distance; in addition, the fees for the doctor and the nurse accompanying the patient are JD20 and JD10 respectively for Jordanians. If the service recipient is a foreigner the charges are JD60 and JD30 for the doctor and the nurse.

"News reports published last week exaggerated the issue and implied that Civil Defence ambulances are included in these regulations," Abu Hudeib told The Jordan Times.

He explained that the fees imposed for the use of the ministry's ambulances are still less than those charged by private and university hospitals.

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