AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan has directed improvements to healthcare, education and vocational training services in Amman’s Marka District, including modernising equipment, strengthening staffing, rehabilitating facilities and upgrading student transportation. 

 

The directives came during a series of field visits to the Hashmi Shamali Comprehensive Health Center, the Jordanian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality, and Abdullah ibn Umm Maktoum Secondary Co-Educational School for the Blind in Marka.

 

At the Hashmi Shamali Comprehensive Health Center, Hassan called for the modernisation of medical equipment, the provision of additional staff as needed, and the maintenance and rehabilitation of several facilities to improve healthcare services, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

Established in 1999, the center serves approximately 120,000 residents and receives around 15,000 patients each month. It occupies a three-dunum plot and comprises three floors covering a total area of 1,800 square meters.

 

The accredited centre provides a wide range of services, including emergency care, general and family medicine, pediatrics, maternal and child healthcare, dentistry, mental health services, nutrition, rehabilitation, dermatology, gynecology and physical therapy. It also operates laboratory and pharmacy services.

 

At the Jordanian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality, Hassan directed officials to support the expansion of training programmes and rehabilitate workshops and classrooms. He also called for the installation of a public safety system, the establishment of a new multipurpose hall, the modernization of the computer laboratory and maintenance work at several facilities.

 

The prime minister stressed the need to provide the academy with the equipment and resources required to improve vocational training, attract more young men and women, and equip them with the skills needed to enter the labor market.

 

During his visit to Abdullah ibn Umm Maktoum Secondary Co-Educational School for the Blind, Hassan instructed officials to provide modern educational equipment for blind students and upgrade the school's computer laboratory.

 

The school, which received a Royal visit from Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania in 2018, is the Kingdom's only public school dedicated to educating blind students and the only school in the country that prints educational curricula in Braille.

 

It has 338 students, including 260 who are blind or visually impaired, and employs 140 teachers and administrative staff, 100 of whom are blind teachers.

 

The school provides education from kindergarten through the second year of secondary school, alongside a range of support services, including psychological and social assistance, Braille instruction, life skills training, sensory training, medical screening and diagnosis, occupational therapy and physical therapy. It also provides transportation for students.

 

The measures form part of efforts to improve public services, expand vocational training opportunities and strengthen support for students with disabilities, helping them develop the skills and qualifications needed for greater participation in education and the workforce, the statement said.