- Lebanon's health sector prepares for emergency
Concerns over an escalation in the Middle East have hospitals in Lebanon preparing for a worst-case scenario. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, hospitals in the economically struggling country have supplies for around four months.
"In certain areas, we are clearly not as well prepared as we would like to be," Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. This particularly applies to the mental health of the population. The general stress level of the population is already very high.
This has increased even further in recent days: "When Israeli fighter jets break the sound barrier at low altitude over Beirut, it reminds the population of past catastrophes: The civil war or the port explosion." Although no one is physically harmed, the loud noises - which often sound like massive explosions - trigger psychological traumas. The reactions of the people show the fears they are struggling with.
Hospitals are "just barely managing"
According to Abiad, the healthcare sector is already under pressure. Since 2019, the country on the Mediterranean has been in the worst economic crisis in its history. Due to the crisis, around 30 percent of doctors and nurses have already left the country. Many hospitals are only equipped with a minimal supply. "Some of them operate on the principle of 'just enough'," said Abiad.
Moreover, in case of an escalation, ports or airports could also become targets and go out of operation. If such a situation were to occur, the supplies of the largest public hospital in Lebanon, the Rafik Hariri Hospital, would only last for a maximum of ten days. If overwhelmed with patients, the supplies could run out in just a few days, said director Dschihad Saadeh to dpa.
After Israel's killing of Hisbollah commander Fuad Schukr in Beirut last week, the leader of the Shia militia, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened retaliation. There is concern that the Hisbollah, active in Lebanon, along with Iran, could launch an attack on Israel. Iran and the Islamist Hamas, also allied with Tehran, hold Israel responsible for the killing of Hamas' external chief Ismail Haniyah in the Iranian capital. Israel has not yet publicly commented on this.
The health sector in Lebanon is already struggling due to the country's economic crisis, resulting in the departure of around 30% of doctors and nurses. Additionally, hospitals are operating with minimal supplies, often following the principle of "just enough."
In such a worst-case scenario, the largest public hospital in Lebanon, the Rafik Hariri Hospital, would only have supplies for a maximum of ten days, potentially running out even faster if overwhelmed with patients.
