His Majesty King Abdullah said citizens' health is a top priority and stressed that bureaucratic routine should not be an excuse to obstruct high quality health services.

During a surprise visit to the Jordan University Hospital on Monday, the King instructed concerned officials to take immediate measures to solve problems facing the hospital after a number of its units were closed due to accumulating debts.

His Majesty stressed the need to preserve accomplishments that have been achieved by the health sector in Jordan through unifying efforts of all concerned departments and improving performance to ensure better health services to citizens as well as Arabs and foreigners willing to receive treatment at the hospital.

The King called for immediate measures to enable units that have been closed to resume their services to patients, mainly the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and digestive tract endoscopy units, according to the hospital's director Mujalli Mhailan.

His Majesty was briefed by the hospital's director on major obstacles facing the medical facility which provides treatment to around half a million citizens annually. He also listened to comments made by some patients on services provided by the hospital.

Dr. Mhailan told Petra that the major problem facing the hospital is the Health Ministry’s failure to pay debts to the hospital amounting to JD28 million, at a time when pharmaceutical and medical appliances companies are requesting the hospital to pay JD23 million.

He said the hospital, which also provides educational services, is one of the important institutions in the Kingdom as its graduates of medical and technical cadres stand at 1000 annually.