The head of the Doctors Syndicate in Lebanon, Sharaf Abu Ashraf, stated that they have the capability within the healthcare sector to vaccinate the entire sector, provided that the Ministry of Health permits them to do so.
According to statements reported by the Lebanese website "Nashra," Abu Ashraf said, "If the Ministry of Health is unable, we in the healthcare sector can vaccinate the entire sector within a week." He noted that more than 50% of doctors, pharmacists, and nurses have not been vaccinated, indicating that there are almost daily deaths within the medical sector. He called for allowing the private sector to vaccinate its staff under the supervision of the Ministry of Health to alleviate the burden.
Abu Ashraf discussed the rate of vaccination being conducted by the ministry in his country, affirming that "if the situation remains as it is in terms of slowness, we will not achieve community immunity for years." He mentioned that his syndicate has developed various plans at multiple stages, highlighting the difficult conditions that doctors are experiencing, confirming that every day doctors are emigrating due to dire living conditions.
Abu Ashraf regarded the vaccination of parliament members as a mistake, stressing that the greater mistake lies with those who permitted it and later justified the action. It is noteworthy that the head of the Doctors Syndicate had previously criticized the Ministry of Health in his country, asserting that it lacks adequate planning and has an incomplete vision. He confirmed that his medical sector has lost 14 doctors during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of nurses being significantly higher. He questioned, "Where is the money that was transferred to the government hospitals?"
It is worth mentioning that Lebanese authorities launched the first vaccination campaign about two weeks ago after receiving 28,500 vaccine doses, organized according to the Ministry of Health's plan to vaccinate healthcare workers and the elderly over 75 years old.
