He added: “Since the topic today revolves around cancer and the permanent scientific development in this field, especially breast cancer diseases and others, the National Social Security Fund, despite the unprecedented economic crisis that all institutions in the country are suffering from, has not stopped following up on the smallest details.” The scientific development of cancer worldwide, through its medical and pharmacological committees that study all new cancer drugs and determine the reasons for the medical use of the content and their suitability with the results of the economic feasibility studies of these drugs, and thus their adoption in the schedules of drugs paid in the fund by 95 percent of what The content is greatly relieved from the material point of view.
He continued, “Therefore, the fund is in constant and continuous keeping pace with the scientific development in the field of breast cancer and its treatments. We mention here that most of these medicines are still subsidized at the exchange rate (1500 LL) by the Ministry of Public Health, through a specific mechanism that The Ministry has to maintain the 100 percent subsidy on the price of medicine, but the real problem most of the time lies in the unavailability of medicines or their interruption in the Lebanese market for various reasons, and this negatively affects the treatment of patients, as there has become a scarcity in the quantities of medicines that enter the Lebanese market compared to previous years of the crisis and collapse.
And Karaki added: “It is known that these drugs and treatments are very expensive globally, and the guarantee was from the pioneering countries in the region, by launching and adopting the foundations of health technology assessment, through joint scientific cooperation and a workshop between Ridboud University in the Netherlands and the Department of Pharmacy is in the guarantee, and it is considered a reform achievement that will reflect positively on rationalizing the health bill and maintaining the level of medical services provided to the insured patient.”
He added: “As for hospitalization, the Fund, within the available financial capabilities, has increased the coverage rate for hospitalization, but it is natural and logical that this increase is not sufficient to cover the hospitalization bill calculated on the black market exchange rate, especially since social security contributions are still collected in the national currency.” “.
And he added: “I take this opportunity to announce that the fund will increase, during the next few days, the tariff for a dialysis session to 2.5 million LL, and the treating doctor’s fees to 500,000 LL, so that this medical work remains 100 percent covered by the guarantee.” social.
He added, “As soon as the decree is issued to increase the official minimum wage to 4.5 million LBP, and to increase the ceiling subject to contributions in the sickness and maternity insurance branch to 10 million LBP, the fund will make an additional increase in the tariffs of hospitals and doctors, and it will also proceed with an increase.” Coverage of therapeutic drugs for some chronic diseases: diabetes – high blood pressure – cholesterol – blood thinning – enlarged prostate – dysfunction of the thyroid gland and other chronic diseases.It will also be terminated again by the decree that it completed in the year 2014 to raise its contribution in covering cancer drugs to 100 percent.”
Karaki stated, “The National Social Security Fund has amounts owed by the state that exceed 5,000 billion L.L., which have been accumulated for years, and the higher the collection rate and the financial solvency of the fund, the greater its ability to provide medical, hospital and drug coverage.”
He said: “As for the proposed solutions to overcome the crisis during the next stage in the short term (the next two years), the Fund’s management believes that it is necessary to work on activating the role of primary health care centers, revitalizing and activating the role of government hospitals, and securing the necessary financing for the health sector as a whole from the Ministry of Public Health.” Guaranteeing government institutions and funds for a period of one or two years at least through grants or long-term loans or through the remainder of the SDR funds that arrived in Lebanon or any other method the government deems appropriate with the aim of securing healthy stability in Lebanon for the next two or three years. .
