His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to a health centre in Hashemi Shamali in east Amman and checked on health services there.

During the visit, the King spoke to outpatients, who gathered in the centre’s corridors, and inquired about their needs and suggestions on means to develop the centre and improve its services.

“While we were in the waiting room, which was packed with patients, we were surprised to see His Majesty King Abdullah enter and check on our affairs,” said Shirine Helmi, a patient who was in the waiting room.

Touring the health centre, King Abdullah issued directives to concerned parties to carry out necessary maintenance works on the first and the second floors and to expand the centre through the construction of a new 600-square-metre floor.

King Abdullah also directed officials to provide and upgrade medical equipment at the centre, especially at the X-ray unit and the dentistry clinic, in order to provide better health services for citizens.

The King toured the centre’s laboratory, emergency room and X-ray units and was briefed by the centre’s director, Othman Abu Zeid, on the facility’s principal needs, mainly the shortage in human resources, space and medical equipment. Situated in a densely populated area, the centre annually deals with 142,000 patients, or 450 patients a day. Its specialisations are dermatology and dentistry, in addition to a mother and childcare unit.

Abu Zeid said the King’s surprise visit reflected his concern about improving health services, noting that the centre will make a qualitative leap after His Majesty issued directives to upgrade the facility. At present, the centre is usually packed with patients and this poses a burden on the medical and technical cadre and the centre’s ability to provide the desired healthcare, he said.

Over the past few years, His Majesty has paid several surprise visits to hospitals and other public facilities in order to ensure better services for citizens.