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A virtual meeting was conducted via Zoom between the Ministry of Health and hospital administrations, where it was agreed that all injured individuals would receive treatment at the ministry’s expense. The ministry committed to promptly reimbursing the hospitals upon receiving reports on the number of injuries and their conditions. However, will the ministry uphold this agreement, or will it prove to be yet another empty promise, as it was with the hospitals and the injured, on August 4?
Tensions in Lebanon are escalating following a series of security incidents, including the bombing of communication and wireless devices belonging to Hezbollah members, which has resulted in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries. Meanwhile, the Lebanese State is grappling with a severe economic and financial crisis, making it unable to bear additional burdens, particularly in supporting private hospitals to treat the injured. Recent events have raised concerns among Lebanese citizens about whether hospitals can manage an influx of wounded individuals should the conflict intensify and Lebanon enter a new phase of military confrontation. Furthermore, where will the government find the funds to cover the costs of treating thousands of injured patients in hospitals following the two phases of device detonations?
Hospitals are continuing their efforts to treat and care for the injured following the recent Israeli security operations that involved the bombing of communication and wireless devices. Coordination between the hospitals and the Ministry of Health remains ongoing.
According to information, a Zoom meeting was held between the ministry and hospital administrations, resulting in the following agreements:
- Hospitals will submit detailed reports to the ministry regarding the number of injuries and their medical conditions, without disclosing any names.
- All injured individuals will be treated at the Ministry of Health’s expense, with the ministry committing to make prompt payments to the hospitals upon receiving the reports. This ensures that payments will be swift and will not face delays, unlike the expenses incurred by hospitals for treating the victims of the August 4 Beirut port explosion, which remain unpaid to this day.
- The funds will be disbursed from the $11 million allocated by the government for the approved plan to address the recent aggression.
However, a crucial question remains: will the ministry honor the agreements made, or will they turn out to be empty promises, as was the case with the hospitals and the injured of August 4?
Sleiman Haroun, President of the Private Hospitals Syndicate, emphasized that hospitals urgently need support in terms of medical supplies, medications, and financial assistance, as the surgeries conducted are extremely costly and the injuries are severe. He added that the situation is reminiscent of the Beirut port explosion, but with a significant difference: the severity of injuries this time is much greater. Most of the injured require hospitalization, not just emergency room visits, which complicates the situation.
Haroun described the conditions in hospitals as challenging but remarked that they have managed to absorb the shock and regain control. This was facilitated by the substantial coordination between the operations room of the Ministry of Health and the hospitals, allowing for the effective distribution of patients based on their capacity and available specialties.
Haroun disclosed that the number of patients in intensive care is extremely high, and if hospitals had not previously enhanced their preparedness, they would not have been able to cope with the recent incidents.
When asked whether they could withstand a full-scale war at this time, Haroun emphasized that hospitals cannot endure additional pressures for at least three weeks. This period is essential for them to regroup and complete the treatment of the injured currently in intensive care and who require multiple surgeries.
