Ramtha - The director of the founding King Abdullah University Hospital, Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghaz, revealed that the hospital's debts on health insurance exceeded 100 million dinars, compared to 60 million debts owed by the hospital to pharmaceutical companies.
Al-Ghaz added in an interview with “Al-Ghad” that the hospital’s budget amounts to 102 million dinars, stressing that the hospital has adjusted its expenses to match the revenues, and so that there is no financial deficit.
In response to a question during Al-Ghad’s meeting with Al-Ghaz about the high occupancy rate in the hospital, he said that the occupancy rate of the hospital beds reached 90%, and sometimes reaches 100%, including the intensive care units and the cardiac catheterization unit.
He pointed out that the number of beds in the hospital has reached 600, which can be raised to 700 in emergency cases, stressing that as a result of the high occupancy of the beds, many scheduled operations for patients and non-emergency ones are being postponed.
He said, that the hospital is transformative for all hospitals in the Northern Region, and serves more than 2.5 million people, and includes all specialties and medical procedures, as it has 7 cardiologists, 3 heart surgeons, 7 neurologists, and a urologist, in addition to other rare subspecialties. .
Regarding the shortage of specialist doctors in the hospital, he pointed to the hospital's need for a diabetes doctor and intensive care, as the shortage is being filled through fellowship programs in most specialties.
He pointed out that the hospital includes 170 consultants in all medical specialties, more than 450 resident doctors, and 1250 nurses, stressing that it is considered transformative for all hospitals in the Northern Region, in the absence of medical procedures in those hospitals.
In response to a question about the complaints of the people in the area about the lack of medicines and their unavailability, Al-Ghaz confirmed that there are medicines that are not available in the hospital due to their loss to the agent himself, or the delay in bids, denying the refusal of pharmaceutical companies to provide the hospital with medicines after debts accumulated on them.
He said that the debts of the pharmaceutical companies to the hospital amounted to 60 million dinars, which has been accumulated for more than 5 years, stressing that the hospital periodically pays the sums of money incurred by it in favor of the pharmaceutical companies.
Al-Ghaz explained that the hospital’s debts on health insurance exceeded 100 million dinars, as most of its patients are transferred from health insurance or medical exemptions through expenses or the royal court, pointing out that the government pays 60% of its debts monthly, and 40% is paid after checking bills and patients’ files.
He stressed the increase in the capacity in some clinics that witness a large turnout of patients, to reduce their waiting, noting that the number of visitors to the specialty clinics last year amounted to 380,000, and about 110,000 for emergencies.
He pointed out that there are clinics, in which the doctor is forced to see more than 70 patients per day, stressing that the hospital is attended by about 14,000 visitors, patients, visitors, students and employees, which causes great pressure on its facilities.
Al-Ghazwa indicated that the total workload in the hospital last year amounted to nearly 9 million procedures in all medical, therapeutic, laboratory and radiological specialties and procedures, despite the Corona pandemic, and the suspension of work in some hospital facilities.
Regarding the complaints of the auditors about the long waiting period to obtain medicines, Al-Ghaz stressed that the longest waiting period for the patient does not exceed 20 minutes, and there is an electronic system developed in pharmacies for everyone to adhere to the role, stressing the appointment of employees in the pharmacy, to face the pressure it is witnessing.
In response to a question about the length of appointments in some clinics, and that they exceed 6 months, he stressed that the specialist doctor is the one who evaluates the diseased condition, and his need for a close appointment or not, and in emergency cases for any patient, dealing with them takes place immediately, stressing that the length of time The period of appointments in some cases is due to the pressure that clinics sometimes experience.
According to the invasion, the hospital is witnessing a demand because it contains all medical specialties, in addition to being equipped with the latest advanced medical devices, which are periodically updated to keep pace with modern developments.
He pointed out that the hospital has developed in 2019 until today its infrastructure with a value of 16 million dinars, through the establishment of the radiotherapy center project, the purchase of cardiac catheterization devices, arteries and veins, advanced devices for the radiology department, two advanced magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography devices, incubators for the department of prematurity, artificial respiration, and television imaging. Energy-saving central air conditioning, central sterilization, and a tender to modernize hospital elevators.
Al-Ghazwa said that despite the challenges facing the hospital in the time of the pandemic, its administration succeeded in overcoming many obstacles, the most important of which is financing, by bringing grants and donations and making optimal use of the amounts collected, as major projects have been implemented, ensuring the continuity of providing services to patients to the fullest.
read more :
Ramtha King Founding Hospital Ministry of Health