Khaberni- Minister of Health Dr. Ibrahim Al-Budur confirmed that the Ministry of Health will reduce the backlog of waiting lists for mammogram imaging - breast images - within a period not exceeding three weeks, as part of a comprehensive operational plan aimed at accelerating radiological scanning procedures and improving the quality of services provided to women.
Dr. Al-Budur said the plan was a response to a significant accumulation in the number of appointments, which in some cases reached about 12 months or more, creating a high operational pressure on major hospitals and leading to delays in imaging some cases.
He explained that the ministry conducted a study of the current situation, where it appeared that the number of mammogram cases at Al-Bashir alone was about 180 cases monthly, with a backlog of nearly 2500 cases on the waitlist in general, pointing out that a large part of this accumulation was due to periodic examinations that could have been served at other locations with available mammogram devices.
The Minister of Health indicated that the plan relies on distributing the service across three main sites, including managing Al-Bashir hospitals for diagnostic cases and medical follow-up, Dr. Jamil Tutunji Hospital and the comprehensive health center in Amman for periodic examinations, confirming that peripheral hospitals do not suffer significant delays in this area.
He added that the scheduling of appointments and referrals and the categorization of cases had been organized, where the daily redirection of cases to Dr. Jamil Tutunji Hospital and the comprehensive health center in Amman had begun, with the adoption of the unified national reading center for image reading, and purchasing radiology specialists services as needed.
He stated that they would communicate with women whose appointments were delayed and arrange new appointments, and invited those with delayed appointments to contact the number 0789655009 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM to reschedule their appointments.
The Minister of Health emphasized that priority at Al-Bashir hospitals will be given to diagnostic cases and high clinical suspicion, stressing the reception of periodic examination cases at designated health centers for initial screening.
He noted that the plan would contribute to accomplishing mammogram images within a short period, effectively reducing the backlog and accelerating the diagnosis of cases needing biopsies, considering that the problem will be practically considered resolved with the regularization of future appointments and ensuring the sustainability of the service with fairness and efficiency.
