Libya will hire a local firm to help process financial claims filed by Jordanian hospitals that have treated around 55,000 Libyan patients over the past year, a Libyan official said on Saturday.
Following a meeting with Private Hospitals Association President Fawzi Hammouri, Libyan Health Bureau Director Ali Bin Jalil said that a deal would be concluded with a Jordanian medical insurance management company to process all bills, which would be paid when the audit was completed and the money allocated by the Libyan government arrives.
The delay in payment has led to a dispute between the Jordanian providers and Libyan authorities.
Jordanian hospitals and hotels are reportedly owed around $200 million by Tripoli in bills accumulated over months of treating and accommodating tens of thousands of Libyans who arrived in the Kingdom in the aftermath of last year's revolution that ousted Muammar Qadhafi from power.
The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Hammouri and Bin Jalil as highlighting the importance of maintaining good relations between the two countries and working on creating an environment for cooperation between Jordanian private hospitals and the Libyan health sector in the long run.
Hammouri stressed the importance of processing the bills as soon as possible so they can be paid within a 30-day deadline after auditing is completed as stipulated in the Libyan-Jordanian Medical Cooperation Protocol.
(Source: Al Bawaba)
