On Thursday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) issued a statement regarding the two-day strike that doctors and hospitals have initiated due to the inability to withdraw money in cash to secure medicines and medical supplies.
The MoPH stated that it “understands the reasons for the doctors’ and hospitals’ move, provided that they do not fall short with patients, and it appeals to the financial and banking authorities to find quick solutions.”
Adding that the difficult financial situation, which is reflected in the country’s health sector, has been the focus of the Health Minister, Dr. Firas Abiad, who recently had a meeting with Central Bank‘s (BDL) officials to discuss solutions.
However, the meeting did not yield “the desired result.”
“Indeed, the Ministry of Public Health regrets the failure to find solutions to the financial pressures that prompted the medical and hospital sector to decide to strike for two days, and it understands the reasons for the protest movement to highlight the eligibility of the demands,” said the MoPH.
However, it stressed the need to avoid any negative effects on medical services, which is necessary for patients.
The Ministry concluded with an appeal for the financial and banking sectors “to find possible solutions as soon as possible, because the permanence of work in the medical and hospital sector is linked to the due service of patients, and it is not possible to delay and wait for settlements and major solutions.”
Hospitals are not the only entities protesting on Thursday, a day that recalls the Lebanese Revolution period with several protests and roadblocks in various areas of Lebanon.
