The Director General of Rafik Hariri University Hospital Firas Abiad wrote on his twitter account that on Tuesday, two governmental hospitals (Siblin Governmental Hospital and Al Shahhar Al Gharbi Hospital) announced that they will stop providing several health services due to financial difficulties.

He added that these hospitals will limit their services for dialysis treatment and emergency cases.

Abiad said that in addition to that the Ministry of Public Health reported the largest number of new Covid-19 infections since several weeks ago.

Abiad considered that access to healthcare services for low-income patients is at risk. “Private hospitals are struggling from cost hikes and stagnant tariffs. This is banning hospitals from providing services to patients who cannot afford the additional fees and high tariffs. Some hospitals are asking for cash payments, while others have shut down,” he said.

“Amid, the unprecedented surge in poverty rates, more poor and needy patients are heading towards government hospitals. This is increasing their burdens, especially that these hospitals have been combating the pandemic for more than a year,” Abiad said.

He added that the employees of these governmental hospitals are financially, physically, and psychologically exhausted. All of this comes, amid an increase in the number of Covid-19 infections.

Abiad explained that despite recent and ongoing challenges, Rafik Hariri University Hospital decided to maintain its capacity and services provided. “In such critical times, needy patients have no other place to go. We have invested the support that we have received very well, and once again, our medical staff has put efforts to maintain services,” he said.

“However, it will not be easy to maintain these services, because more patients are coming to us, and this has been noticed in the emergency department,” he said. The resources at the hospital are limited and if the crisis is not resolved soon, the services will be affected in all hospitals.