AMMAN - The Ministry of Health will apply a new emergency system based on the Romanian model as of next year, a senior government official said on Sunday.
SMURD (Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication) is an emergency rescue service based in Romania that uses the traditional ambulance, in addition to helicopters equipped with emergency medical systems.
Minister of Health Nayef Fayez said the new system will first be applied at Prince Hamzah Hospital in cooperation with the Civil Defence Department (CDD), using helicopters for emergency purposes.
He noted that two helicopters are expected to be deployed for this purpose next year after being equipped with the required staff.
The minister made the remarks in a joint press conference yesterday with his Romanian counterpart Attila Cseke, and officials from both countries' health ministries, at the conclusion of a four-day visit by the Romanian delegation.
Fayez said the ministry will increase the number of Jordanian doctors and nurses sent to Romania to be trained on the emergency system. In addition, the ministry will host Romanian doctors who will train Jordanians and supervise equipping the emergency units.
Meanwhile, the Romanian minister said bilateral cooperation in the health sector will benefit both countries.
He said Jordan will benefit from his country's experience in the emergency system, while Romania will benefit from the Kingdom's experience in cancer treatment and paediatric heart surgery.
Cseke, who praised the treatment methods and equipment at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), noted that his country will cooperate with the centre through visual networking to benefit from the KHCC experience, and develop cancer medication in his country based on the Jordanian experience.
Bilateral ties
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Samir Rifai met with Cseke, who conveyed a letter from Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc that focused on bilateral ties and means to boost cooperation at all levels.
In the letter, Boc underlined that His Majesty King Abdullah's visit to Romania last year is considered a milestone in the relationship between the two countries and has paved the way for further cooperation.
During yesterday's meeting, Rifai underscored Amman's keenness to enhance cooperation with Bucharest, expressing his appreciation for Romania's efforts to train Jordanian cadres in the field of emergency services.
The prime minister also called for closer cooperation in marketing Jordanian pharmaceuticals in Romania and discussed the possibility of establishing Jordanian drug companies in the European country.
For his part, the Romanian official underlined his country's commitment to boost bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of health and medical sciences noting that the two countries' health ministries have agreed to prepare an annual action plan to explore areas of cooperation.
Also on Sunday, Senate President Taher Masri met with Cseke and discussed bilateral ties and prospects for further cooperation.
In addition, the Romanian minister visited the CDD headquarters where its director general, Major General Abdullah Hamadneh, gave a briefing on the department's duties and services.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2010
