Press Release

King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan receives support with US$400,000 OPEC Fund grant

124/2005 December 20, 2005, Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development today approved a grant of US$400,000 to help purchase the latest treatment and diagnostic equipment for the King Hussein Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art cancer facility located in the Jordanian capital Amman. The financing will help the Center meet its budget requirements for the years 2006-07 for equipping its multidisciplinary departments.

The King Hussein Cancer Foundation was founded in 1997 as an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization (NGO) and is the legal umbrella organization responsible for the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC). The Center, also a not-for-profit NGO, is the only sophisticated facility in the Middle East that treats both adult and pediatric patients. The 148-bed Center practices the highest ethical standards and quality of care, with 16 multi-modality treatment departments (surgical, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) run by 76 specialized physicians in the area of oncology and 273 nurses and well-qualified administrative staff. Areas of specialization include treating cancers of the breast, uro-genital tract, central nervous system, head and neck and female reproductive system. The Center also contains a bone-marrow transplant unit. More than three quarters of the patients are from Jordan, with the remaining comprising individuals from neighboring Middle Eastern countries. Over the last three years, the average annual number of in-patients reached more than 4,950 and out-patient visits exceeded 27,000. The Center also treats poor and vulnerable individuals, with the costs fully covered by the Jordanian government.

In addition to the Fund grant, KHCC will be receiving financial assistance from government, donor organizations and proceeds from fund-raising campaigns. The Center will continue providing superior-quality services and keep pace with the latest technologies. This, in turn, will enable KHCC to maintain its role as an academic institution that trains oncological staff; carry out local and regional cancer awareness campaigns; and, keep up with the latest emerging concepts and treatment modalities.