Lebanon's caretaker Ministries of Health and Finance announced on Monday an updated mechanism to expedite payment of dues and cover the war-wounded, according to a statement released by the Health Ministry.

Lebanon and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since Oct. 8, 2023, amid the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. Tensions have recently escalated after dozens were killed and thousands injured in Lebanon due to explosions involving pagers and communication devices, as well as an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad met with caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil on Monday to coordinate and accelerate joint efforts in addressing the "health and financial repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon," amid a state of alert in the relevant departments to expedite the transfer of funds to hospitals. The meeting took place at Abiad's office in the Health Ministry.

"The discussion between the two ministers focused on an updated mechanism to accelerate the payment of dues to hospitals, doctors, and health workers to secure their rights in light of the tremendous efforts exerted by the health sector on one hand and the need to maintain the sector's readiness in the event of continued aggression on the other," the statement read.

According to the statement, Abiad will inform the Syndicate of Hospitals of the updated payment mechanism on Tuesday.

Moreover, Khalil began paying in cash last Friday the dues referred by the Health Ministry that had been audited to avoid delays.

The two ministers also agreed during the meeting to extend the deadlines for the repayment of advances given to the Health Ministry, increasing the funds allocated to cover the war-wounded and displaced persons in southern towns and villages to approximately 25 million dollars.

They also decided to accelerate the payment of amounts owed to pharmaceutical companies for tenders conducted by the ministry to increase the stock of cancer treatment drugs for Lebanese citizens, including those displaced from their towns and villages.

Finally, they agreed to accelerate the monetization of World Bank loans and grants allocated to support the health sector.

After the meeting, Khalil stated that the Finance Ministry, along with the Health Ministry and other concerned ministries, is mobilized to take "immediate measures to pay for all hospital referrals across all Lebanese territories that receive injuries as a result of the Israeli aggression, as well as the fees for doctors and nurses."