Former Head of Parliamentary Health Committee Assem Araji Urges MSF to Continue Services at Model Hospital in Bar Elias, Lebanon

The former head of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Assem Araji, indicated, in a statement, that “six years ago, MSF opened a model hospital in the Bekaa town of Bar Elias, after an agreement was reached between the organization and the Lebanese Ministry of Health, after follow-ups from me with the help of some actors.”

Araji pointed out, “During this period, the hospital provided great services, including performing about six thousand surgeries. Some of these patients had guarantors and were unable to pay the differences in private hospitals. Thousands of patients were also received in the external services department, and all of this was free of charge.” He paid any financial allowances, in addition to about one hundred and fifty employees and medical and nursing staff, most of whom were from the Bekaa region, and they were paid in dollars.

He stated that “the organization informed us that it decided to reduce its services in the hospital to the extent that it wants to hand over the hospital at the end of May to the Ministry of Health, according to the agreement that was made six years ago, and this will have negative repercussions on the town of Bar Elias and the neighboring areas, especially with these difficult financial conditions.”

He appealed to the organization to “complete this humanitarian mission, especially since the Ministry of Health is currently unable to manage this hospital due to the financial conditions that state institutions are going through. I have repeatedly tried to persuade the organization to stay, but until this date, I have not found a final answer.”

He added, “I am in constant contact with the Minister of Health, Firas Abyad, to find a solution that guarantees the continuation of the hospital and not closing it, and we will have a position in cooperation with the citizens at the appropriate time if we do not reach a solution that guarantees the continuation of medical services for the people of Bar Elias and neighboring areas.”