Health Ministry: Newly referred patients from health centers will be evaluated on the same day.
Health Ministry: New evaluation clinics at Al-Bashir and Hamzah to begin receiving patients on Tuesday.اضافة اعلان
Health Ministry: Reorganizing long-wait appointments based on medical necessity.
Health Ministry: The new system launches at Al-Bashir and Hamzah, expanding later to other hospitals.
Al-Badoor: The plan aims to reduce overcrowding and improve the efficiency of staff and resources.
Minister of Health Ibrahim Al-Badoor directed the establishment of evaluation clinics at Al-Bashir and Prince Hamzah hospitals for patients referred from health centers on the same day, a move aimed at reducing wait times that previously stretched for months in certain specialties.
Al-Badoor stated that the system will be implemented as a "first step" at Al-Bashir and Prince Hamzah hospitals, before later expanding to other hospitals experiencing clinic appointment delays. He emphasized that "there will be no future appointments for new patients at Al-Bashir and Prince Hamzah outpatient clinics."
The new clinics will begin receiving patients referred from health centers across the capital starting Tuesday, August 18. Patients will undergo same-day evaluations to determine their need for specialized care and the appropriate treatment course for their conditions.
The clinics will cover surgery and orthopedics, alongside internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology, with patients being referred to subspecialty clinics when necessary.
Additionally, the clinics will evaluate patients holding distant appointments in general and subspecialty clinics, reorganizing their schedules based on medical urgency to shorten wait times and utilize available capacity at both hospitals.
Al-Badoor explained that the plan aims to reorganize the patient pathway and strengthen integration between health centers and hospitals. Cases that can be managed within primary healthcare will remain at local centers, while cases requiring specialized care will be referred to hospitals based on medical need.
He added that these measures align with directives from Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassan to improve healthcare services, enhance the efficiency of the care system, and facilitate public access to medical services—particularly in high-demand specialties with heavy patient volumes.
He noted that the ministry is concurrently reorganizing health centers surrounding capital hospitals, boosting their diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up capabilities within primary care to ensure patients are routed to the appropriate level of care from the start of their treatment journey.
He confirmed that the implementation at Al-Bashir and Hamzah represents the first phase, which will be followed by a broader rollout across other overcrowded hospitals suffering from clinic appointment delays for referred patients.
He said the plan continues the ministry's approach to organizing medical referrals and linking health centers with hospitals more effectively, helping reduce overcrowding, streamline patient traffic, and maximize the efficiency of available staff and facilities.
Al-Badoor affirmed that the ministry will continue assessing health district needs and developing patient reception and referral mechanisms to accelerate access to appropriate services, cut wait times, and elevate overall healthcare quality.
