Ammon News -

Minister of Health Dr. Firas Hawari on Thursday, inaugurated 21th International Jordanian Oncology Conference of the Jordanian Oncology Society (JOS).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hawari said the rate of cancer patients in the Kingdom reaches 84 cases per 100,000 citizens, while the "standardized" case rate per 100,000 citizens hits 130, which entails "high" treatment costs.

Hawari noted the Ministry of Health attaches "remarkable" importance to combating cancer, with the participation of the Kingdom's medical, health and academic sectors.

The ministry has prepared a national plan in cooperation with partners in the medical and academic sectors, which have seen agreements concluded, aimed to expanding residency programs in subspecialties, especially in oncology and surgery, he pointed out.

Al-Bashir Hospital "Samih Darwaza Center for Oncology Treatment," which was inaugurated, has "remarkably" contributed to providing treatment services to cancer patients, Hawari pointed out.

Training to hematologists has kicked off at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) to provide Al-Bashir center with qualified medical staff, he said.

The ministry, he noted, is seeking to introduce scientific programs that support training and maintain medical education for oncologists in various subspecialties, to ensure provision of the "best" treatment methods in accordance with globally applied health and medical care standards.

For his part, JOS President, Dr. Sami Khatib, said oncology has witnessed a "remarkable" revolution of important scientific research during the past two decades, adding that related research has become accurate on the nature on the disease's causes, which led to a set of important treatments.