Khaberni - A year after the current government's term, the outcomes of the professional health unions varied between what has been achieved and what remains unresolved, awaiting decisions.
Some health unions have made progress on specific files, such as enhancing cooperation with the Ministry of Health on issues of professional discipline and electronically linking union institutions with government agencies to facilitate services, alongside the disbursement of some periodic entitlements imposed by work requirements, according to Al-Ghad.
However, as important as these steps are, they have not met the level of ambition as major issues, such as contracting dentists with private schools and controlling unlicensed training centers, and appointing staff in supervisory positions, remain unresolved.
On the other hand, health unions continue to push towards a new phase of joint work with the government based on a wider and deeper partnership in formulating health policies and making strategic decisions.
These unions prioritize vital files, the most prominent of which are improving the working environment for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, addressing the shortage of appointments in the public sector, and amending incentive instructions to achieve justice among different categories.
Dentists: Pending Issues
From here, the head of the Dentists' Union Dr. Aya Al-Asmar stated that the union is working on several files in coordination with the government, noting significant cooperation with the Minister of Health Dr. Ibrahim Al-Badour, especially regarding the professional discipline file shared with the Ministry.
She added that some files are still outstanding, foremost among them the contract of dentists with private schools, which awaits a meeting that includes the union and the Ministries of Education and Health chaired by the Prime Minister.
She explained that failing to finalize this file before the start of the school year missed an important opportunity, although the law ensures that students in private schools have the right to dental services, at a time when parents pay fees for these services that are not provided as required.
She pointed out that about 700 to 1,000 dentists are concerned with this file.
She also addressed another file concerning unlicensed training centers that train dentists in various fields without oversight or legal coverage.
She indicated that these centers exploit legal loopholes between the Ministries of Health and Industry and Trade—the former confirms its non-jurisdiction, while the latter only registers these centers as commercial institutions without granting them licenses to practice health training.
She confirmed that the union is making solo efforts to address this issue through judicial warnings, in the absence of cooperation from official agencies.
On the other hand, she praised the cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, which helped link the union electronically with state institutions to facilitate service provision, including tracking violations with the Amman Municipality, the Passport Department, the Ministry of Health, and the Medical Council.
She emphasized that this cooperation has contributed to achieving significant progress in this regard, noting that the union continues to follow up on these vital files, confirming that some issues need greater governmental will to ensure the rights of doctors and students, and protect the profession from illegal practices.
Health sector needs broader cooperation
In turn, the spokesman for the Doctors' Union Dr. Hazem Al-Qaralleh, stated that a year after the current government's term, the hoped-for level of partnership between it and the professional unions has not yet been achieved, despite the vital importance of involving those unions in formulating policies and making decisions related to various sectors, especially the health sector, considering them houses of expertise capable of providing practical and effective solutions.
He clarified that the existing cooperation does not yet meet the level of ambition, emphasizing that what is required is a broader and deeper partnership, not limited to exchanging opinions but extending to achieving national goals, especially improving the performance of the health sector and raising the standard of services provided to citizens and enhancing the professional environment for doctors.
He added that the union is looking forward to a real and fruitful partnership with the government, based on involving the union in strategic decisions related to the health sector and working on removing obstacles that hinder resolving pending claims urgently, along with improving the working and living conditions of doctors, reflecting appreciation for their professional stature and ensuring the stability of national cadres.
He stressed that achieving this extended partnership benefits not only the doctors but represents a fundamental step in advancing the health sector and enhancing the quality of medical services provided to citizens.
He confirmed, "We in the union are ready to work side by side with the government to activate the role of the unions as houses of expertise and strategic levers, and to transform dialogue and partnership into tangible results on the ground, serving the general interest of Jordan and its health sector."
Pharmacists: Priority for those working in the public sector
Meanwhile, the head of the Pharmacists' Union Dr. Zaid Al-Kilani confirmed that the union's council prioritizes rectifying the conditions of pharmacists working in the public sector, noting that the union continues its demands for increasing the number of appointments in government health institutions, commensurate with the actual needs of the sector.
He clarified that the professional role of the pharmacist in the public sector is still below the required level, despite what pharmacists possess of scientific and professional expertise that qualifies them to play a pivotal role in the health system, whether in dispensing medications, monitoring their judicious use, or participating in treatment plans alongside doctors.
He added that the union's council seeks to enhance the position of the pharmacist within official health institutions by expanding their operational scope and activating their role in primary healthcare and hospitals, confirming that supporting this role positively reflects on the quality of medical services provided to citizens and reduces the burdens on other medical cadres.
He pointed out that the union closely follows the conditions of pharmacists in the public sector, working to address the challenges they face, notably the shortage of appointments, work pressure, and the need to improve the working environment to ensure the stability of national cadres and enhance their efficiency.
The Pharmacists' Union had previously raised demands to the government to increase the number of pharmacists in hospitals and health centers, given the increasing number of graduates from pharmacy colleges and rising unemployment rates among them, making expanding job opportunities in the public sector a professional and national demand at the same time. He stressed that the union will continue its efforts to achieve a real partnership with the government, ensuring that pharmacists can perform their professional role optimally, serving the health sector and the Jordanian community as a whole.
Nurses' Union: Most of Our Demands Remain Unresolved
On his part, a member of the Nurses' Union Council, Zuheir Muslim, stated that more than a year into the government's term, there has been no significant progress in meeting the demands of the nurses, noting that what has been achieved was limited to periodic entitlements imposed by the requirements of the Ministry of Health without responding to the previously signed agreements.
He explained that last year, the union had reached an agreement with the previous government to amend the incentive instructions and grant bonuses to workers in health centers and health directorates, comprising about 4,000 nurses and nurse practitioners.
He added that this group has not received any improvements, although other medical cadres have received adjustments to their salaries and incentives.
He indicated that the agreement stipulated a temporary bonus for bachelor's degree holders working in health centers until the incentive instructions are amended fairly, but the current government canceled the agreement and stopped disbursing the bonuses since mid-2024.
He pointed out that the adjustments for support medical professions granted incentives ranging from 20 to 50 points, while the incentives for bachelor's degree nurses working in directorates and health centers remained at only 8 to 12 points, which he considered a clear injustice. He noted that the allowances for acquisition, mobility, and overtime pay that were paid to some nurses are not new achievements but financial entitlements that the ministry was delayed in disbursing.
He mentioned another problem related to supervisory and leadership positions, where more than 580 nurses occupy positions as department heads or nursing directors without being formally appointed or receiving the prescribed supervisory allowance.
He explained that a decision was issued in January to appoint them, but it was later canceled due to a violation of the new civil service system, leaving the file unresolved to this day.
He mentioned the ongoing issue of distributing cadres among health institutions, where some areas suffer from a severe shortage of nurses compared to a surplus in other areas without a clear mechanism for rotation.
Regarding unpaid leave, he clarified that the recent amendments allowed it under strict conditions, including five years of service and obtaining multiple approvals, making its utilization almost disabled, despite there being about 5,000 expatriate nurses who wish to benefit from this provision.
He emphasized that what has been achieved so far does not go beyond some routine entitlements, while the core demands related to incentives, bonuses, securing supervisory positions, rotating cadres, and unpaid leave remain unresolved without practical solutions, confirming that the union will continue to press for justice for its members.
