Sectoral Policies and Initiatives in Health

Article 4a of Law No. 31 grants the following rights to persons with disabilities:

1. Preventive and awareness programmes, including early detection of disabilities;
2. Diagnosis and medical classification of disabilities;
3. Medical and psychological habilitation and treatment;
4. Primary health care for women with disabilities during pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery;
5. Free health insurance.[1]

The National Strategy stresses the following challenges in health-care provision for persons with disabilities:

1. Lack of comprehensive medical coverage in the areas of prevention, early detection of disabilities, diagnosis, habilitation, and follow-up on disabilities;
2. Shortcoming in the medical referral system when dealing with persons with disabilities;
3. Lack of qualified medical staff in the area of disabilities;
4. Low coordination between the different institutions that work in the field of disability;
5. Lack of funds.

The National Strategy sets forth two goals, namely: lowering the rate of disabilities; and improving the quality of health-care service provision for persons with disabilities. It recognizes the need to integrate persons with disabilities in the primary health-care system and to provide them with medical insurance.

Furthermore, other strategies briefly address health issues for persons with disabilities. Within that context, one of the objectives of the National Mine Action Plan is to upgrade the capacity of hospitals in order to provide rehabilitation services. Additionally, the National Youth Strategy promotes counselling and advanced psychological health services for young people with special needs.

A practical step forward in the recent past has been the establishment of a new comprehensive health centre in Amman. This centre, which is accessible for persons with disabilities, can be seen as a model health centre and a sign of the commitment by the Ministry of Health to enhance the environment of health centres for persons with physical disabilities.

[1] This free health insurance is renewed every three years and requires a disability report from a governmental hospital and a proof of property.