Reforming for relief: WB pledges support for health sector with reform conditions

Caretaker Minister of Health Firas al-Abiad was supposed to return from his trips abroad in search of support for the hospitalization of Lebanese citizens with positive answers.

 

He did, however, bring back a preliminary agreement with the World Bank and promises from donor parties, all of which are dependent upon a fully specified government with a reform agenda that can be trusted to assist Lebanon, even on the level of health.

 

Doctors were asked to review the fees they were charging to alleviate the patient burden.

 

A decision was also made to fully cover the cost of treatment for kidney dialysis patients after kidney doctors began directly charging patients at least $10 per session, and hospitals started charging at least $20 per session.

 

The doctors and some private hospitals made such a decision, as their dues from 2022 until now have yet to be paid and are stuck in the Ministry of Finance.

 

The Ministry of Health is aware of the seriousness of this reality. It had increased its contribution to the cost of dialysis treatment to two million and 500 thousand LBP for one patient, plus 500 thousand for the doctor's fees.

 

The cost was acceptable when it came into force last February against an exchange rate of approximately 50,000 LBP after the Ministry of Health and the Military healthcare, the Physicians Syndicate prepared a study of the cost of treating dialysis patients. The study found that it does not exceed $57 for each treatment session.

 

All of this, however, has lost its significance now that the exchange rate has topped out at 120,000 LBP and that treatment costs have increased by at least $30 per session for Lebanon's 3,025 dialysis patients.

 

Without support programs and soft loans, where will the ministry and the guarantors get the money to pay for all these discrepancies?