LEBANESE HEALTH SECTOR BRACES FOR WAR
August 12, 2024As Lebanon faces the looming threat of full-scale war with Israel, the country is taking urgent steps to fortify its healthcare system. With memories of the devastating July 2006 war still fresh, Lebanon is stockpiling emergency medical supplies and preparing its hospitals for an influx of war injuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already delivered 32 tonnes of emergency medical supplies, with more expected to arrive soon. The situation in Lebanon is increasingly tense, with skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel at the southern border intensifying, and fears of a wider regional conflict growing.
Lebanon’s healthcare sector is currently facing immense challenges, far worse than during the 2006 war with Israel. The economic crisis has severely impacted the private sector, which provides 85% of healthcare services. About 30% of doctors and nurses have left the country, leading to a significant shortage of specialists, particularly in brain and vascular surgeries. Private hospitals are also struggling with maintenance issues and the high cost of surgical supplies. The number of available hospital beds in private facilities has decreased to 8,000, and public hospitals are unprepared to handle severe cases due to logistical and personnel constraints.
The WHO’s Program Director in Lebanon, Dr. Alissar Rady, highlighted the contrast between the current situation and that of 2006, when hospitals were fully operational with a six-month supply of medications and a well-staffed medical workforce. Today, however, the healthcare system is in a dire state, exacerbated by ongoing economic difficulties and the potential for an expanded war.
lebanonnownews
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