The Tripoli based Libyan Ministry of Health announced yesterday that the first batch of a total of 100 Libyan specialist doctors has been dispatched to Jordan to participate in advanced training programmes in rare and specialized medical fields. Subsequent groups will be departing for Jordan soon.
These training programmes aim to raise the competence of Libyan doctors and transfer modern medical expertise, aiming to positively impact the quality of healthcare in Libyan hospitals.
The Health Ministry said this this strategic step, the first of its kind in terms of scale and specialization, comes in line with the Libyan state’s commitment to developing the health sector, improving the level of medical services provided to citizens, and enhancing the capabilities of national medical personnel to keep pace with modern advancements in the health field.
Trainees and training programme to be supervised by monitors
This is part of a well-defined plan that includes the accompaniment of specialized supervisors to monitor the progress of the training programmes, evaluate the quality of training, and ensure that the desired objectives are achieved according to the highest professional and scientific standards.
Value for money for Libyan state
The inclusion of monitors for the training programmes reflect Libya’s bad experience with overseas training programmes where much is paid but questionable quality of training is received. Many Libyans treat training trips as a form of payment bonus or a shopping trip.
Previous payment issues with Jordan
It will also be recalled that Libya has had issues with value for money and transparency of bills with medical treatment in Jordan since 2011.
For a few years, Libya had unpaid bills with Jordanian health institutions from the period following the revolution when some 80,000 Libyans were treated in Jordan. These did not only include treatment of war wounded but also civilians who were able to take advantage of the lack of controls over whom the Libyan authorities paid for. It is known that in some cases entire families travelled to Jordan, staying in top hotels at Libya’s expense while a member of the family underwent treatment, sometimes for nothing to do with war injuries.
At one point at the time, it was estimated that Libya had built up unpaid bills of $200 million. Significantly though, by September 2013, when the Jordanian hospitals had tightened up on admitting Libyan patients unless monies were paid in advance and the Libyan authorities had stopped underwriting medical treatment in Jordan, it was estimated that Libya still owed private health care providers there $80 million. Later, the figure circulating rose to $300 million.
Nonetheless, two years later, the then Thinni government agreed to pay Jordanian as well as Tunisian healthcare debts.
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