Minister of Health Firas Hawari on Thursday opened a medical conference on the reality and challenges of heart surgery at Prince Hamzah Hospital, organized by the cardiac department at the Hospital and the Jordan Cardiac Society.
This one-day conference features nine sessions that cover important topics related to cardiovascular surgery from a medical perspective. Specialized doctors and technicians will participate and discuss ways to use this medical procedure to benefit patients and improve healthcare quality.
During his opening remarks, Hawari stated that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in both the Middle East and the world and is rapidly increasing due to the prevalence of risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
He highlighted the commendable work done by the healthcare industry in Jordan, both public and private, in treating patients and performing necessary surgeries, which could be attributed to the availability of adequate medical equipment and capabilities in the healthcare facilities, as well as the diversity of expertise and specializations among healthcare professionals.
He emphasized the need for protection from the harmful effects of smoking, requiring us to improve our infrastructure to minimize its impact and offer appropriate treatments, which also means dealing with the rising treatment costs for both the state and citizens. “Therefore, urgent action is needed to protect our society and children from this dangerous scourge,” he added.
The Ministry was able to achieve remarkable developments in many medical specialties, and introduced a group of rare specialties to its hospitals, he stated.
He also stated that the Ministry offers heart surgery services in multiple hospitals. The Hospital for Specialized Surgery has completed approximately 700 heart surgeries since its launch two years ago, the new Al Hussein Salt Hospital has conducted over 100 heart surgeries in less than a year, Prince Hamzah Hospital operates around 300 heart surgery procedures every year, and there are plans to establish a heart surgery department at Zarqa Governmental Hospital.
He also indicated that within a span of two years, numerous surgical procedures were performed in hospitals under the Ministry of Health. Previously, the Ministry would refer patients to private hospitals for procedures such as open-heart surgeries, cardiac catheterizations, and vascular and arterial surgeries to keep pace with the rise in patient numbers and surgical needs.
Source: Jordan News Agency