The obsession with shortages of medicines for chronic diseases prevails during the war… Is Lebanon afraid of an air and sea blockade?

All sections of the state remain steadfast in the face of open conditions of external war. In parallel with the high level of anxiety and anticipation over the coming hours, the Lebanese citizen and those involved have logical concerns that imitate reality, and reject sweat and clarifications regarding the issue of medication violations.

The Lebanese live in a war in terms of food and medicine security, and the experience of the 2006 war returns to their memories for fear of a repeat of their events by bombing the airport and severely blocking seaports, while government officials go in and out. public in efforts to reassure that “goods and medicines are available for months” and he is not afraid of… Any violation.

Those involved start from the medicinal resources available at drug importers as well as at Lebanese pharmaceutical factories. In this regard, the head of the Syndicate of Drug Importers, Joe Gharib, confirmed in his interview with “An-Nahar” that the strategic or general stock available to importers is enough for 4 months, and that the stock in hospital pharmacies is enough for a month and a half, which means that the country’s stock of drugs will last for five and a half months. As for medicines to treat war casualties, they are widely available.”

Therefore, there is no fear of banning harmful and inevitable medicines if the expected war breaks out in its traditional context. But what Gharib fears and considers it a painful blow is “to apply air and sea blockade in military conflict or armed conflict, the state tries to communicate with international organizations to find ways safe to establish for basic raw materials. , including medicine.”

For his part, the head of the Medicines Syndicate, Joe Salloum, points out that the problem is in medicines for incurable diseases (cancer medicines and multiple sclerosis medicines), and we are suffering great shortage, and disruption in the Lebanese market, because they are still subsidized, and they are not among the medicines provided in pharmacies, which are naturally available, which are responsible to local industry and imports. “

There is no doubt that cancer patients, who suffer from frequent interruptions in medicine, will be under the spotlight if the war extends. Here, the Minister of Health said in a previous interview with “An-Nahar” after the last offer, which was led by the Ministry, “the trust has exceeded a year that a large number has arrived or which is on the way.

(From the Nahar archive)

Anticipating any possible situation, the Pharmaceutical Importers Syndicate contacted some logistics companies in Cyprus and the Emirates to get harmful and perishable medicines, whether through the Emirates or Cyprus, on the condition that both parties to the conflict agree to secure safe passage. The importance of that communication lies in gathering the needs of the country in one place, and bringing in what is needed at the lowest cost, instead of each importer having his own order there. the particular country.”

Accordingly, Gharib hopes to neutralize the drug file from the war of rumours, because the risk of causing a crisis that does not exist. He remembers what happened in previous crises when the importation process was stopped due to a lack of funding, or because financial capabilities were not available. Today, the situation is different, as manufacturers are delivering the required goods, and importers are rebuilding their stocks 9 months ago, not ago two weeks.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health received tons of medical supplies designated for the treatment of war injuries, with the aim of supporting, empowering the health sector and equipping it to receive the maximum number of wounded people if the war expands and target Israel on the capital, Beirut, expands.

Salloum’s fear is that we will see roads closed and supply routes cut to deliver medicine, without an emergency plan that reflects these concerns. Therefore, if a full-scale war breaks out, we may have difficulty getting medicines outside of Lebanon, especially subsidized medicines, which we are suffering from because of the shortage them in the first place even before the war started.

Will the reassurances calm the concerns of the Lebanese people about the breakdown of medicines and a repetition of the situation of the economic crisis that hit the country 4 years ago, when some paid the price for a medicine monopoly with others with rushing to buy large quantities for fear of a drug bust, while buyers took advantage of the crisis to sell drugs on the black market at very high prices?