Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday welcomed at the Grand Serail Caretaker Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Al-Abiad, with whom he discussed cancer patients’ medical insurance and medicines. American University of Beirut President, Dr. Fadlo Khoury, partook in the meeting alongside an AUH delegation.
“After taking stock of the challenges that hospitals face in securing care and medicines for patients, the need to provide support to cancer patients, and the institutions in which they are treated, has been confirmed by the government and the Ministry of Health,” Abiad said.
“Despite the scarce resources currently available, we believe that through the systems established by the Ministry of Health — to track medicines from source to patient — we’re being able to provide a large number of patients with the medicines they need,” Abiad added, noting that this tracking program will be expanded it to include other medicines.

Mikati separately chaired a meeting devoted to discussing the proposed administrative steps, activities, and regulations for declaring “Beirut the Capital of Arab Media 2023”. 

In the wake of the meeting, Information Minister, Ziad Makary, said, “The ministerial committee has met under the chairmanship of Premier Mikati to prepare for the activities leading to the declaration of Beirut the capital of Arab media in 2023. Lebanon is full of media, cultural, and tourism events, and all of these events will be part of Beirut the Capital of Arab Media.”

Makary went on to explain that the bulk of the funding for this event will be extended in the form of donations and sponsorships from parties interested in supporting this celebration. 

“We have launched a competition for the best slogan for the occasion among Lebanese universities, and today it is shown on all local TV channels. We are trying to involve the largest possible segment of Lebanese young women and men to make a success out of this event, which is initially scheduled for mid-February,” Makary added, noting that the opening ceremony will take place in Beirut in the presence of Arab information ministers and accompanying delegations.

“The Ministry of Information will form a committee to follow up and keep pace with this event, which is in partnership with the League of Arab States,” Makary concluded.  

The Prime Minister then met with a delegation representing the “Used Car Dealers” Association, headed by “Car Showroom Owners” Syndicate Head, Walid Francis, who briefed the Prime Minister on the problems that the sector faces nowadays. 

Mikati also had an audience with a delegation representing the “Lebanese Armed Forces Veterans Association”, which thanked Mikati for approving the social assistance decree with salary supplements for retired and active service soldiers.