His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, on Wednesday inaugurated an oncology centre at the Queen Alia Military Hospital, affiliated with the Royal Medical Services (RMS).

The centre, built at a cost of JD12 million, will provide services to 40 patients daily, referred from the RMS’ haematology and oncology clinics.

King Abdullah, accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and RMS Director Maj. Gen. Abdel Aziz Ziadat, toured the centre’s departments and its various units.

Centre Director Brig. Gen. Michel Qaqish briefed the King on the services provided to patients, who used to be referred to public hospitals and the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) to complete their treatment.

The centre, established upon Royal directives, includes qualified staff, physicists, technicians and nurses, who underwent specialised courses at the Beaumont Hospital in Michigan and the KHCC, which have signed cooperation agreements with the centre.

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Ziadat said the inauguration of the centre is the first step to make Queen Alia Hospital an integrated medical facility for oncology.

He noted that establishing the centre saved the RMS JD4 million, the cost of transferring patients to hospitals not affiliated with the RMS.

Ziadat added that opening the centre will be followed by the inauguration of Prince Hashem Hospital in Aqaba by the end of this year and the Mafraq Military Hospital and the Ajloun Military Hospital in 2013.