Jordan Times
Friday, October 26, 2007
Monarch meets Laura Bush
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday discussed with US First Lady Laura
Bush ways to upgrade Jordan’s health services and educational system.
Mrs Bush was in Amman as part of a regional tour to promote the Middle East
Partnership Initiative in the field of healthcare.
King Abdullah commended Mrs Bush for her key role in the healthcare sector
regionally and internationally.
He also expressed Jordan’s appreciation for US support for health programmes in
the Kingdom, particularly American support for the King Hussein Cancer
Foundation, noting that Jordan has greatly benefited from its partnership with
the US in the spheres of cancer research and awareness.
The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Feisal, the King’s Office Director Bassem
Awadallah and US Ambassador to Jordan David Hale.
The King emphasised the importance of establishing the breast cancer screening
centre in Jordan, which has received direct support from Mrs Bush, saying that
the success of this initiative depends on continued US support.
Mrs Bush commended the advanced level of health and medical services in Jordan,
especially those offered to cancer patients. She said she is eager to maintain
cooperation and coordination with Jordanian medical institutions and provide
adequate support for them.
During her visit to the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) on Thursday, the US
first lady unveiled an architectural model of a breast cancer screening centre
to be located within the King Hussein Cancer Foundation in Um Utheina.
The $255,000 centre is funded by USAID and Health Ministry.
Renovation works necessary to accommodate the facility will begin at the King
Hussein Cancer Foundation in January 2008. They are expected to be completed by
February 2008, according to a KHCC statement received by The Jordan Times
Thursday.
The new facility will help expand the KHCC community outreach and raise
awareness on breast cancer, the US first lady said.
The screening centre will be the first of its kind in Jordan and will provide
comprehensive breast health services in a comfortable and private environment,
said HRH Princess Ghida Talal, chairperson of the board of trustees of the King
Hussein Cancer Foundation. She added that the success of the screening centre
would pave the way for replication across Jordan and the wider Middle East.
Mahmoud Sarhan, CEO and director general of the KHCC, said the centre would
offer services for 40-50 women a day, noting that the majority of specialists
working at the centre will be women for the comfort of the patients.
The total cost of a comprehensive test stands at JD25, while it will be
conducted for poor women at no charge, said Sarhan, who noted that since the
beginning of the year, a total of 400 cases of breast cancer were reported.
During her meeting with Mrs Bush, Princess Ghida said: “For the first time in
Jordan, we will be learning from the very best in the area of breast cancer
awareness. Our partnership with these pioneering institutions will have a direct
and immediate impact on the lives of thousands of Jordanian women.”
Under the partnership, facilitated by the US Department of State, the King
Hussein Cancer Centre has signed with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the
University of Texas and M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre in the US a number of
cooperation agreements. The three US institutions work collectively in the areas
of breast cancer awareness, research, training and community outreach.
At the KHCC, Mrs Bush visited patients and their families at the children’s
playroom, where she presented a set of children’s books from the US-funded “My
Arabic Library Initiative”. The children gave Bush a painting that they had
drawn themselves.
She also visited the Tele-Synergy Department.
HRH Princess Dina Mired, director of KHCC, was also present at the meeting,
along with other senior officials.