The Jordan Times
By Laila Azzeh
AMMAN - Over the last decade, the National Goodwill Campaign has changed the lives of thousands of residents of the Kingdom’s remote and underprivileged areas, most of whom used to suffer from serious impairments that hindered them from leading normal lives.
The campaign has provided medical services to more than 100,000 patients across Jordan since its medical division was established in 2000, president of the campaign’s medical committee Nayef Abdullat said on Tuesday.
HRH Princess Basma, president of the campaign’s higher committee, visited the Istishari Hospital and the Arab Medical Centre yesterday to check on a new group of patients who are recovering from life-changing operations.
The Princess, along with other members of the higher committee, listened to a briefing from the doctors who performed the surgeries on the patients and provided the necessary follow-up care.
Fourteen of the patients underwent their surgeries at the Arab Medical Centre, and nine others in the Istishari Hospital in Amman.
Their surgeries included treatments for herniated discs, tonsillectomies, varicose vein removal, facial reconstruction and surgeries to correct congenital malformations, including undescended testicles in young boys.
Princess Basma underlined the importance of fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors for the success of the campaign, voicing her appreciation for private hospitals’ participation in alleviating the suffering of those in need of medical intervention.
Also during yesterday’s tour, Princess Basma inaugurated the Professor Freih Abu Hassan Medical Centre.
The National Goodwill Campaign, first launched by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development in 1991, has served numerous underprivileged families and has grown over the years to become synonymous with support for the poor and marginalised.
In cooperation with the private sector, the campaign has enabled needy families to benefit from vital services by
providing health and education assistance as well as income-generating projects.