Search
Search

HOSPITALS

Abiad inspects Batroun Hospital after dialysis room ceiling collapses

Abiad inspects Batroun Hospital after dialysis room ceiling collapses

Caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad visits Batroun Governmental Hospital, July 17, 2024. (Credit: Michel Hallak)

BEIRUT—Caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad visited Batroun Governmental Hospital on Wednesday following a partial collapse of the dialysis room ceiling yesterday.

The incident had led to the temporary shutdown of part of the dialysis department, but according to the hospital's general director, Ayoub Mukhbat, normal operations have now resumed.

"Work in the dialysis department has returned to its normal pace, with the final restoration work on the roof being completed within days," Mukhbat said.

He attributed the collapse to "severe humidity" and noted that the entire hospital building will be inspected to prevent similar incidents in the future.

During his visit, Abiad toured the various hospital departments and was briefed on the patients' conditions.

He expressed satisfaction that the ceiling collapse did not result in significant harm to the patients present in the dialysis room.

"Government hospitals that provide permanent and quality services to patients from all categories, especially the most vulnerable in society, need permanent investment to support and rehabilitate their facilities," Abiad said. He stressed the importance of maintaining these hospitals as the "first line of defense" for patients.

Lebanon's public healthcare system has been strained by lack of proper funding and the country's ongoing economic and political crises. 

BEIRUT—Caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad visited Batroun Governmental Hospital on Wednesday following a partial collapse of the dialysis room ceiling yesterday. The incident had led to the temporary shutdown of part of the dialysis department, but according to the hospital's general director, Ayoub Mukhbat, normal operations have now resumed. "Work in the dialysis department has returned...