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A crisis cell has been established in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and the key pillars of the health sector, notably the hospital syndicate, the medical association, and third-party payers, to monitor the issue of skyrocketing hospitalization costs and find ways to reduce them.
Caretaker Minister of Economy and Trade Amine Salam chaired a meeting on Wednesday dedicated to this issue with representatives from these three entities, during which the decision to form the crisis cell was made.
The cell is to engage in discussions with importers, especially since their invoices and prices have negatively impacted the cost of medications, equipment, and medical parts.
According to Salam, a significant portion of the equipment and parts imported from abroad arrive in Lebanon “with a profit margin exceeding 50%, sometimes even 70%.”
The minister also revealed the existence of complaints regarding “additional external costs added to the invoices covered by insurance companies and hospitals, sometimes reaching levels beyond the patient’s capacity.”
While he acknowledged that these increases might partially be attributed to “a state of anxiety that leads to price hikes and anticipatory actions out of fear of incurring losses,” the minister lamented “the absence of a roadmap or a future vision.”
Salam assured that he does not want to harm neither the health sector nor the Lebanese people. On the contrary, “we agreed that this sector is the backbone of the country and is a red line,” emphasizing that the collapse of the health sector and insurance companies cannot be allowed.
Another issue raised during the meeting was the fees of doctors, which was addressed with the president of the medical association, Youssef Bakhach, who assured that he is in constant contact with doctors to ensure certain standards are met.
In this context, Salam emphasized that the purchasing power of the Lebanese has weakened, and they can no longer pay bills as they did before 2019, the year the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon began.
It is worth noting that Salam mentioned last week to This Is Beirut that hospital costs “defy all understanding,” whether it is the cost of operations, syringes, vaccines, or care. He explained that in one year, prices have increased by 20%, noting that this will affect insurance premiums.
