The Director General of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Dr. Firas Abiad said on his twitter account that “despite Corona’s good news, the healthcare system is in a critical situation, as the pandemic has increased demand for hospitals at a time the financial crisis has led to an increase in poverty, and in the cost of imported medical supplies.”

Abiad explained in a series of tweets that this critical situation is attributed to the shortage in medical and nursing staff who are emigrating the country.

He added: “What can we do? Hospitals will try to reduce it costs, through cutting some expenditures on infrastructure investments, although such practices have dangerous consequences, as we have seen in Jordan and Iraq.”

Abiad said that one of the solutions might be through increasing the hospitals’ revenues by demanding higher payments from patients or guarantors. However, this remains a hurdle due to the catastrophic economic crisis. Official financial assistance is also impossible, given the current situation of the government financial state.

Abiad pointed out that “hospitals are currently relying on international aids and donations from the Lebanese Diaspora.” He emphasized that hospitals cannot rely on international aids on the long term, as it is well known that donor interest is short, especially with the emergence of other global crises. ”

Abiad said: “The healthcare sector is standing still, but for how long? Any new challenge, such as a new mutation of the Coronavirus, or a reduction in subsidies on imported medical supplies, can lead to unfortunate consequences.

He added that the Syndicate of Private Hospitals have sounded the alarm several times, but unfortunately no one is responding.

٥/١ في لبنان، على الرغم من الأخبار الجيدة على جبهة الكورونا، فإن نظام الرعاية الصحية يجد نفسه في وضع حرج جدا. زاد الوباء من الطلب على المستشفيات في وقت أدت فيه الأزمة المالية إلى زيادة فقر المرضى وتزايد تكاليف المستلزمات الطبية المستوردة.

— Firass Abiad (@firassabiad) April 26, 2021