Health committee approves draft law on home healthcare

BEIRUT — A draft law on in-home healthcare in Lebanon was approved Monday by the parliamentary Health Committee, according to an announcement from its chairman, Bilal Abdallah.

Before being submitted to Parliament, it still needs to be discussed "within the other relevant committees: Administration and Justice, as well as Finance and Budget," the Chouf MP from Jumblatt's bloc specified.

The bill aims to "regulate the operation of home healthcare institutions," allowing "every patient, regardless of their condition, to receive medical care at home, among their loved ones, so they can be more comfortable," Abdallah explained. It will also "significantly reduce healthcare costs."

The proposal, in line with "international standards," takes into account "the capacities of payor organizations and the level of readiness of the relevant parties, particularly doctors and nurses," Abdallah said.

He noted that such care already partially exists in some hospitals, but "only in the private sector, without any coverage."

In Lebanon, the healthcare system has undergone a severe crisis, with hospitals under pressure, shortages of medications and staff, and limited access to care for a large segment of the population.