Lebanon asks for global support to develop its health infrastructure at the Geneva assembly of WHO

Last week, Lebanon's Public Health caretaker minister, attended the World Health Assembly located in Geneva to ask for help with the country's crumbling health care system, he said on Monday. Firas Abiad went to the assembly to get support from the region and the rest of the world. He said that helping Lebanon should be a top priority for the rest of the world. Due to the country's continuing economic crisis, there aren't enough medical supplies for the hospitals.

"The international community has a responsibility to help Lebanon and its health care system," he said. "The fact that people around the world respect the Lebanese it is something to be proud of, but it's not something novel for Lebanon."

Mr. Abiad said that the most support for Lebanon came from meetings with regional allies that took place outside of the Geneva summit. 

Since 2019, Lebanon has been in a deep economic crisis. This, including the Covid-19 pandemic, has made it hard for the nation's health care services to do their jobs.

Since 2019, hospitals across the country have had power outages and electricity shortages because there hasn't been enough diesel to fuel generators, which are used more and more.

Mr. Abiad said on Monday that he expected diesel for public hospitals to arrive from Qatar this week as a form of help from Qatar.

Meanwhile, hospital workers and doctors all over Lebanon went on strike for two days to protest the terrible state of the health sector.

But, notwithstanding the two days of pressure, the strike didn't get much of a response from the government, members of the hospital unions in the troubled country told The National.

Since 2019, the value of the Lebanese pound has dropped by more than 90%, and inflation has gone through the roof. Because the country's Central Bank is getting worse, it is still hard to get money for medicine, diesel, and electricity. This is a problem in all parts of Lebanon.

While this is going on, doctors, hospital staff, it and the public still can't get most of their money from commercial banks. This is because the Central Bank has taken tough steps to stop its reserves from running out.

One administrator called the scenario "impossible" because hospitals couldn't give patients the right care, doctors were having trouble getting their pay, and many patients couldn't pay their hospital bills.

On Saturday, a group of hospital owners called on several ministers to talk to the Central Bank as well as the Association of Banks to help hospitals get the money they need to buy important medical supplies and pay their employees.

In a comment, the conglomerate said that commercial banks were "essentially holding funds hostage" at the request of the Central Bank.

The statement said, "This chokes hospitals and stops their work."

Hospitals have said that if they can't get money, they may have to close as well as charge patients in cash, which Ms. Matar says isn't a good solution.

"The problem is that if we want to accept money from the patients, they can only take out a certain amount."

The United Nations says that about 80% of Lebanon's people now live below the poverty line. Matar said, "Their means to pay is limited" because of this. Ms. Matar said that even though the hospital strike has been going on for a few days, no one in charge has said anything about it.

"We used to be able to make ourselves heard by going on strike."It would lead to some kind of answer," she said. "But, however loud you yell, it's like you're yelling into nothing. There's no answer."