Irbid, Sept. 10 (Petra) -- A parliamentary delegation inspected healthcare facilities in Irbid Governorate on Thursday, visiting the Irbid Health Directorate and the new Princess Basma Teaching Hospital to monitor service delivery, assess operational progress, and address public feedback.
The delegation included members of parliament Abdel Nasser Al-Khasawneh, Tareq Bani Hani, Shaher Shatnawi, Mohammad Bani Melhem, and Abdel Haleem Al-Ananbeh.
Al-Khasawneh emphasized the importance of expanding digital health services, calling for specialized service guides to assist patients with digital applications, particularly regarding health insurance.
Bani Hani pledged parliamentary support to address staffing and medical supply shortages through direct government engagement, while Shatnawi urged improved coordination between peripheral and referral hospitals to manage patient transfers and bed occupancy rates effectively.
Bani Melhem highlighted the need to fill personnel vacancies created in local health centers when staff were reassigned during the initial opening of the new Princess Basma Teaching Hospital.
Al-Ananbeh reaffirmed that lawmakers are conducting field visits across all governorates to inspect public services.
Director of the Irbid Health Directorate Zaher Al-Bals detailed ongoing modernization plans under the Ministry of Health's strategy, noting that land assessments are underway for new health centers and discussions are ongoing regarding the future use of the old Princess Basma Hospital building.
During the tour of the new Princess Basma Teaching Hospital, Hospital Director Waleed Al-Halabi outlined administrative measures taken to reduce overcrowding.
Al-Halabi stated that backlog lists for radiology scans were fully cleared by operating equipment on public holidays over two consecutive months. He added that overall bed occupancy dropped from 100% to approximately 80%, freeing up space in inpatient wards and the intensive care unit.
Al-Halabi noted that specialist physicians now work on holidays to evaluate stable patients and expedite discharge procedures, preparing the hospital to perform specialized surgeries for residents of Irbid and the broader northern region.
//Petra// AF
