The infringement of Lebanese rights and the difficulty in obtaining them are among the main reasons for their displacement and spread to various parts of the world, as they prefer to immigrate to any country that guarantees the bare minimum of human rights rather than stay in Lebanon. The rights mentioned here are not luxuries or those demanded by other nations, but rather are basics and necessities connected to human life and healthcare. The irony is that non-Lebanese individuals in Lebanon receive these rights fully, while Lebanese patients look on with regret and pain, lamenting their homeland as they stand at the doors of hospitals, unable to enter, while others receive complete medical care.
This discussion is not rooted in racism, discrimination, or lack of regard for humanitarian standards, as some might interpret it, but the dire state of the Lebanese has reached a point that can no longer be ignored. What logic allows an individual not to receive their rights in their homeland while suffering leads to their demise, whereas foreigners on their land obtain these rights? This is the situation of all Syrian displaced persons and Palestinian refugees whose bills are covered in fresh dollars by international organizations.
Regarding this painful issue, the President of the Private Hospitals Association, Suleiman Haroun, revealed to "Al-Markaziah" that "the United Nations has established a program to cover the medical expenses of Syrians and Palestinians, and signed contracts with hospitals to receive patients from these nationalities residing in Lebanese territory, with the UN covering hospital bills in fresh dollars within a maximum period of two months. In contrast, Lebanese patients are burdened with paying the differences to the hospital, which are invoiced in Lebanese pounds, and the payments from the Lebanese guarantee entities are delayed by about a year, resulting in security forces, public sector employees, and other insured individuals being deprived of hospital access because they can no longer afford to pay the required differences."
Thus, Haroun confirms that "a Syrian or a Palestinian can obtain medical rights in Lebanon, unlike the insured Lebanese. Ironically, a significant number of hospitals are admitting more Syrian and Palestinian patients than Lebanese ones, relying on the income from treating Syrians and Palestinians to ensure their continuity and cash flow. For example, one hospital is currently treating 70 patients, 50 of whom are Syrians and only 20 are Lebanese."
Haroun questions, "Is this reality permissible? What description can be given to it? Is it acceptable for the locals not to receive their rights in their own country while foreigners do?" He cites the saying, "I love you, but not more than my own hand," emphasizing his respect for the rights of Syrians and Palestinians and any nationality, but they are not more precious to him than the citizens of his own country. From here, Haroun urgently calls on Lebanese officials to strive to ensure, at the very least, medical assistance for Lebanese people, prioritizing their needs, similar to the assistance provided to Syrians and Palestinians, asserting that just as these individuals receive their rights in a country that hosts them, officials must guarantee the rights of Lebanese in their homeland.
