His Majesty King Abdullah, in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Tuesday inaugurated the Prince Al Hussein Ben Abdullah II Hospital, which will serve about 300,000 residents of the Ain Al Basha District and surrounding areas such as Jerash, Sweileh and Abu Nuseir north of the capital.

The JD18 million hospital, which has a current capacity of 130 beds, was built on a total area of 30 dunums with an overall built-up area of about 14,000 square metres.

“The hospital will reduce the inconvenience to residents in nearby villages and districts. Ain Al Basha residents used to go to hospitals far from their houses for treatment. The facility will help them a lot,” the hospital director, Bassam Shloul said.

Shloul said the hospital includes an emergency room, outpatient clinics, an X-ray unit, an intensive care unit and maternity and paediatric wards, and is staffed with all the needed specialists.

Construction on the facility started in 2008 following a directive from King Abdullah during a visit to the area in 2007.

The hospital, whose capacity can be increased to 260 beds, is funded through a soft loan from the Chinese government and was designed by a specialised Chinese firm.

Minister of Health Nayef Fayez stressed the importance of the hospital as it is located in a densely populated area. He added that the government is working on creating and renewing several hospitals in line with high specifications in different governorates.