AMMAN
— After the government announced last week that the management of medical
exemptions would be transferred completely to the Royal Court, Parliament
witnessed widespread objections as MPs protested the change.
اضافة اعلان
Some
deputies called the shift “unconstitutional”, while others voiced fears that
the change would place too great a burden on the
Royal Court.
What
is Jordan’s medical exemption system?Medical
exemptions aim to serve Jordanians who are unable to foot high bills for
necessary medical treatment, as a way of ensuring that those in need receive
care.
Exemptions
are granted to citizens between the ages of six and 60 who are not covered by
insurance and the
Royal Medical Services. Those under six years of age and over
60 are automatically covered by health insurance.
Typically, cancer patients of all ages are also eligible for medical
exemptions.
How
are medical exemptions changing?Medical
exemptions used to be dispensed by the Prime Ministry as well as the
Royal Court, so Jordanians seeking a medical exemption could obtain a letter from
either the Prime Ministry or the Royal Court.
Last
week,
Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh announced that the government had
decided to transfer all management of medical exemptions to the Royal Court.
Parliament
has maintained that each deputy must be provided with 10
medical exemptions per
month to dole out to constituents, and that exemptions for cancer and heart
patients remain unlimited,
Lower House Speaker Ahmed Al-Safadi said during a
Lower House session on Sunday.
Parliament has maintained that each deputy must be provided with 10 medical exemptions per month to dole out to constituents
He
also said Parliament has stipulated that previous beneficiaries of the medical
exemption system receive renewed exemptions.
Why
the uproar in Parliament about the change?Deputies
protested the government’s decision, with some saying that the Prime Ministry
is unduly shifting its responsibilities to the Royal Court.
Several parliamentary blocs, including the Democratic Current,
National Coalition, Future, and Justice blocs, issued a statement on Monday stating that
they hold the government responsible for any violations in granting medical
exemptions to citizens, as the government is the entity responsible for
granting them.
In
the statement, the MPs also expressed concerns that the decision will increase
the burden on citizens, particularly in light of lack and shortage of
sufficient health and medical services in all governorates.
“There is nothing in the Constitution in any of its articles that authorizes the Royal Court to work on behalf of the government.”
Linking
medical exemptions to the public service unit affiliated with the Royal Court,
the statement said, could place an additional burden on roles and tasks assumed
by the court to serve Jordanians.
What do the MPs say?Member
of Parliament
Saleh Al-Armouti called the decision to “unconstitutional”,
referring to a clause from Jordan’s Constitution that states that the
management of state utilities falls within the duties of the government.
“There
is nothing in the Constitution in any of its articles that authorizes the Royal
Court to work on behalf of the government,” he said, suggesting that the
government should rescind the decision.
Armouti
also suggested that the Kingdom consider instating universal insurance
coverage. "We hope that there will be comprehensive insurance for all
citizens. This issue must be placed on Jordan’s list of priorities."
MP
Suleiman Al-Qallab told
Jordan News: “Our demands are for the exemptions
to serve those who need it, considering that the exemptions are
Royal donations for uninsured people.”
Regarding
insurance, he concurred with Armouti, stating that
universal health insurance should be made a priority, “as most countries follow this system”.
Al-Qallab
called for bridging organizational and financial gaps accelerating measures to
cover more Jordanians with health insurance.
"We hope that there will be comprehensive insurance for all citizens. This issue must be placed on Jordan’s list of priorities."
Former
Minister of Health Mamdouh Al-Abbadi, on the other hand, said the idea of
comprehensive health insurance “in a poor country like Jordan is impossible”.
Abbadi
added that the percentage of spending on health institutions in Jordan is “weak
compared to the rest of the world”.
He
stressed that the Ministry of Health, as the party responsible for
providing medical care, is the most capable of dealing with medical exemptions.
Abbadi
also pointed out that, to reach those in need of exemptions for medical
treatment, deputies representing all governorates bring the patients’ paperwork
to Amman for processing.
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