"The richest person in the world is not one who possesses money, but one who possesses health and peace of mind" is a saying we are accustomed to hearing. However, in Lebanon, those who lack money also lack health, as hospitalization has become a luxury only the wealthy can afford. The poor are left teetering between life and death. Since the onset of the crisis in Lebanon, we have not seen any serious plans despite numerous warnings from those concerned in this sector. So who will save the healthcare sector in Lebanon?
In addition to exorbitant hospital bills, Lebanon is currently suffering from a health disaster as the economic crisis has led to a mass exodus of thousands of doctors and nurses seeking fair compensation for their skills and expertise. This country, which has long been considered the hospital of the Arab world, is on the verge of becoming devoid of doctors and nurses providing essential medical services to patients.
Sulaiman Haroun, the head of private hospitals, points out that "the occupancy rate in hospitals has now dropped to 50 percent, and one of the main reasons is the shortage of medical staff and doctors. Patients bear the brunt of the indifference of the rulers in my country who have brought the Lebanese people to this state of humiliation, poverty, and deprivation."
The sector is gasping for breath. Haroun states, "There are several hospitals that can no longer withstand, some have resorted to transferring ownership to avoid closing their doors, due to their inability to face financial difficulties. Others are threatened with closure, as the economic crisis in Lebanon has exceeded the capacity of hospitals to continue."
Several challenges and issues face hospitals today: First, the occupancy rate has fallen to around 50 percent due to patients being unable to afford any additional costs for hospitalization, in addition to the emigration of medical personnel and doctors. Second, hospital expenses have now outstripped their revenues, and despite the additional charges they impose on patients, they are currently facing numerous financial difficulties, especially in securing cash and dealing with medication and medical supply importers which are no longer subsidized. Additionally, fuel prices are rising daily and paid in cash US dollars, along with increasing wage costs almost every month. All these problems threaten the healthcare sector in Lebanon, and there is no guaranteed solution to rescue the sector from its crisis despite all the cries and warnings, and matters remain unaddressed, with the situation not looking promising."
As for the guarantees, Haroun adds, "Regarding health insurance policies paid in fresh dollars, patients do not incur any additional differences, as the insurance company transfers funds directly to hospitals in fresh dollars, after we made some discounts for insurance companies to collect them in fresh dollars from their clients. The rates have become lower than they were before the crisis." One intermediary in insurance companies indicates that "today, 90 percent of health insurance companies have moved towards fresh dollar transactions to avoid patients facing additional costs. As for policy prices, they have decreased by between 20 to 40 percent of previous contract values, as hospitals have also reduced their prices.”
Haroun continues, "As for other guarantees, such as social security and the state employee cooperative, some patients still turn to them, but they bear significant additional costs because social security still pays bills based on 1,500 lira to the dollar, while the state employee cooperative pays bills based on 6,000 lira to the dollar, which is still insufficient to cover hospitalization differences, as in reality the dollar has reached 30,000 lira."
The collapse is inevitable in the absence of any remedy. Haroun concludes: "The financial crisis that Lebanon is experiencing will impose itself on the healthcare sector in Lebanon. Hospitals are at risk of collapse as they are part of this country's economy. I expect that a large number of hospitals will collapse in the not-too-distant future. We will see the state unable to do anything. What Lebanon lacks today is a comprehensive and studied plan that revives all sectors simultaneously. The citizen pays the price, and hospitals have no means to provide the necessary treatments for patients at all times.”
Thus, several hospitals are threatened with closure if the situation remains the same. Some hospitals, like "Qartabawi" and "San Charles," are suffering from severe financial crises and have fallen under the management of "Hotel Dieu" hospital. Who is responsible? And what are they waiting for? Are they waiting for external financial aid to save such an essential sector? Yes, death has become easier than subjecting a citizen to an illness that puts them in the hands of hospitals.
