His Majesty King Abdullah on Friday instructed concerned institutions to implement the e-Health Programme “Hakeem” at the national level.

The plan seeks to upgrade health services by providing a database of patients’ medical histories across the Kingdom, covering all state-run hospitals, the Royal Medical Services, Al Hussein Cancer Centre and the public universities’ educational hospitals.

During a visit to Prince Hamzah Public Hospital (PHPH) on Friday, where the Hakeem programme was launched, the King commending the success of the pilot phase of the program and urged its implementation nation-wide.

Accompanied by John Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer of Cisco Systems, the King was briefed on the various components of the two-year pilot phase.

The King also checked on the implementation of the programme at the hospital’s dialysis and patient registration units and the doctors’ clinics and visited the Cisco Clinic for Distance Therapy.

Chambers commended the progress achieved in the field of communications and information technology in Jordan, stressing at the same time that the strategic partnership between Cisco and the Jordanian government will accelerate the computerisation of the Kingdom’s health sector.

Hakeem’s director, Ghassan Lahham, presented a briefing on the programme, which was launched in 2009. Lahham indicated that the programme will improve the quality of services offered to citizens at healthcare centres, boost medical tourism in the Kingdom and create job opportunities.

The King was accompanied on his visit by Royal Court Chief Khaled Karaki, the King’s Media Adviser Amjad Adaileh, Royal Court Adviser Amer Hadidi, and several high-ranking civil and military officials.