Dr. Daifallah Al-Louzi, Ministry of Health Secretary General (right), with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Jacob Lew (center left) during the visit

During a two day visit to Jordan, Mr. Jacob Lew, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and Mr. George Laudato, the USAID Administrator's Special Assistant for the Middle East visited the recently renovated Dr.Jamil Tutanji Hospital in Sahab. They expressed their admiration of the obstetrics and neonatal wards and even compared them to those of some of the best hospitals in the U.S.

Through the support of USAID's Health Systems Strengthening Project (HSS), implemented by Abt Associates, much needed improvements were made at the Dr. Jamil Tutanji Hospital. The delivery, obstetric, and gynecology wards and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit now meet both the functional and infrastructure requirements set by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) standards for health.

The HSS Chief of Party with the USAID Administrator’s Special Assistant for the Middle East, George Laudato

The wards and operating theatre are now equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and furniture crucial to the safety of and the quality of the services provided to women and their newborns.

The HSS project also provided hospital staff with clinical guidelines to help them provide quality health services to their patients.

Upgrading the neonatal and obstetric wards at Dr. Jamil Tutanji Hospital is a part of the overall Safe Motherhood component of the project which supports the Ministry of Health's efforts to reduce Jordan's maternal and neonatal mortality rates, thus enabling Jordan to meet the millennium development goals (MDG) 4 and 5.