The Ministry of Public Health’s press office announced in a statement today, that caretaker Public Health Minister Hamad Hassan has granted four emergency import permissions to licensed pharmaceutical companies, to cover missing medicines and to compensate the market for shortage, scarcity or monopoly of medicines, which will positively impact the health security of citizens in the coming days.

“The import will take place according to the conditions stated in the emergency import decision, which determine the scientific and technical controls that stipulate the presentation of the GMP of the factory laboratory, a duly authenticated CPP or Free Sale Certificate, a COO (Certificate of Origin), and a COA (Certificate of Analysis), for each drug package,” the statement added, noting that “the selling price to the public will be at least twenty-five percent lower than the price available in the local market.”

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry urged the pharmaceutical companies and the medical supplies and laboratory agents, whose invoices received subsidy transfers and approvals from the Central Bank during the past two months, “to assume their national responsibilities and take the initiative to deliver drugs under penalty of legal and financial prosecution.”

The Ministry also called on the concerned authorities at Lebanon’s Central Bank, “to coordinate directly and speedily with the Ministry to determine priorities and expedite transfers and permissions to ensure the response of companies reluctant to import.”