Health minister meets with drug companies to reassure that import funding will continue

BEIRUT — Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Health Minister Firass Abiad assured international pharmaceutical companies and medicine importers that Lebanon will continue importing medicine, including those that are not produced in Lebanon, on Monday morning during a meeting at the Serail, the National News Agency reported.

Here’s what we know:

    • After the meeting, Abiad said that the importing companies’ concern is the ability to continue importing medicines amid financial difficulties. Mikati assured that “medicine is at the top of its agenda, hence the decision taken by the cabinet last week to direct the request to Banque du Liban to issue a payment to international companies to ensure the continuity of the arrival of drug arrival in Lebanon,” he added.

    • He also that the PM and cabinet will continue scheduling funds and sending them abroad to ensure the continuity of the arrival of drugs in Lebanon. The cabinet also aims to work on possible means to reassure importing companies.

    • In response to a question about the Health Ministry’s plan to balance the import of medicine and encourage the local pharmaceutical industry, Abiad replied “The step we took two weeks ago is to support medicines that are produced locally, but there are other medicines, including cancer medicines and incurable diseases, that are not produced in Lebanon.