Health Minister Saad Jaber has underscored today that Jordan implements public safety standards to protect inmates at its correctional and rehabilitation centers from the COVID-19.

Jaber made the comment during a meeting with Director of the Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers Department (CRCD), Brig. Gen. Ammar Qudah, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The meeting tackled enforcing the Health Ministry's plan on public safety at the correctional centers.

The minister pointed out that the partnership with the CRCD aims at providing health care to inmates, putting in place preventive measures through health education, and raising awareness through lectures held at these centers.

Qudah reassured that correctional centers are free of infections with the COVID-19, after epidemiological inspection teams conducted random tests on inmates.

He pointed out that all reform and rehabilitation centers across the Kingdom are up to the standard in terms of public health safety, adding that they have been disinfected and provided with the necessary medical supplies.

He underlined that the Balqa and Irbid centers have been approved to receive new inmates, who on arrival are tested for the virus by specialized teams from the Health Ministry.

The ICRC representatives said that the organization has pledged to provide these centers with the basic needs for a proper health environment for inmates.

They commended the Ministry's quick response by developing a health plan to ensure that the procedures and preventive services provided to inmates are top-notch.

They said the Ministry was proactive in launching a plan to be implemented regionally and internationally, which was used and approved by the World Health Organization and Red Cross missions around the world.

The ICRC medical representative, Raed Abu Rabei, hailed the Ministry's quick response that included rehabilitation centers in the 2020 national plan for the COVID-19.

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