Medical staff inside a hospital in Beirut. (Credit: Marie Jo Sader/L'Orient Today/Illustration photo)
BEIRUT — The Health Ministry announced on Monday that it is evacuating all patients from the Saida Governmental Hospital near the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, to ensure their safety as deadly clashes continue in the camp for a third day.
The evacuation is being carried out in collaboration with the facility's administration, the ministry said in a statement.
Several patients with critical medical conditions have already been transferred to nearby hospitals for appropriate care, and those requiring dialysis sessions have been taken to partner facilities to ensure uninterrupted treatment.
"The Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and is working closely with the hospitals concerned to ensure continuity of the necessary medical care. The safety and health of patients remain the top priority in this delicate situation," the statement added.
Deadly clashes between rival Palestinian groups have stretched across the past three days in Ain al-Hilweh. Six people have been killed since Saturday, dozens wounded and dozens more displaced to nearby districts of Saida.
The camp is home to more than 54,000 registered Palestinian refugees, joined in recent years by thousands of Palestinians who have fled the civilian conflict in Syria. Densely populated, Ain al-Hilweh is regularly the scene of shoot-outs and clashes, due to personal disputes or tensions between various Palestinian factions.