Ongoing Vaccination Campaign and Distribution of Medication with MECC
The Lebanese Health Sector Is Suffering
The Middle East Council of Churches continued, during the month of July, to vaccinate children and distribute medication which prices have skyrocketed in Lebanon. Thus, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut’s Office, is keen to accompany the neediest on the health side, at Our Lady Dispensary, affiliated to MECC and located in Sabtieh region. Beneficiaries visited the Dispensary and were tended to by dedicated doctors as per regular basis. In some cases, in which the beneficiaries are old and cannot leave the house, medications were distributed directly to their homes.
In fact, the health work of the Middle East Council of Churches is implemented at a time when the health sector in Lebanon is paralyzed due to the tighten financial conditions and the economic and health crises that have cast a shadow over all the state institutions. Therefore, the citizens were negatively affected and are not able to have access to health services.
Hence, the deteriorating reality led to the disintegration of Lebanon’s healthcare system, which is now experiencing a scarcity of fuel and medication. Therefore, citizens are today suffering from a shortage of basic medicines that are no longer available at distributors and pharmacies. This is in addition to the spread of counterfeit pharmaceuticals across the country due to a lack in effective medical supervision. As for hospitals, they rationed their services amidst an increase in the migration of health workers. As well as, insurance companies are facing harsh conditions and are unable to pay the increasing hospital bills due to the high exchange rate of the dollar.
