The Minister of Health, Rakan Nassereddine, and the President of the American University of Beirut, Fadlo Khoury. Photo provided by the Ministry of Health.
Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine announced on Saturday a grant of $400,000 to the Turkish Hospital in Saida and another $300,000 to the public hospital in the major southern Lebanese city. He specified that these are “donations from the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab League and the World Bank, accompanied by modern medical equipment.” The minister’s comments come the day after an Israeli attack on a car in front of the public hospital in Tebnine, in the Bint Jbeil district, which killed one person and injured 11 others.
Minister Nassereddine also stated that government hospitals in southern Lebanon damaged by the Israeli war will be rebuilt by the Ministry of Health if the Council of Ministers does not allocate a specific budget. “We stand with all Lebanese during this new phase, and with the Lebanese Army serving all citizens,” emphasized the minister, who is close to Hezbollah.
The announcements were made during a tour of hospitals and primary health centers in Saida. The minister was received by regional parliamentarians, including Abdel Rahman Bizri, Oussama Saad, former MP Bahia Hariri, as well as the city’s municipal council president, Moustapha Hijazi, among other local dignitaries and hospital directors.
Since the escalation of the Israeli offensive in Lebanon on Sep. 23, 2024, and until Nov. 12 of the same year, eight healthcare facilities were forced to close and 28 others sustained considerable damage due to the bombardments, according to L’Orient-Le Jour. Most of the damaged hospitals are in southern Lebanon, while others are located in the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Signing of a cooperation agreement with AUBMC
Rakan Nassereddine also announced the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Health and the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), represented by the university’s president, Fadlo Khoury. The agreement aims to support public hospitals and enhance their efficiency through specialized training for resident doctors and medical staff. It also provides for “cooperation in joint medical research, exchange of medical services, and the creation of therapeutic programs and services in public hospitals, in accordance with the national public health strategy approved and implemented by the Ministry of Health.”
Despite a cease-fire declared on Nov. 27, 2024, the Israeli army continues to strike southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, targeting Hezbollah officials as well as civilians.
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