A gathering on August 4, 2023, in front of the silos at the port of Beirut. (Credit: L’Orient-Le Jour/Mohammad Yassine)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced Wednesday that it will cover all hospitalization costs for Lara Hayek, a young woman who has been in a coma since the Beirut port explosion on Aug. 4, 2020.
"In accordance with the directives of Minister Rakan Nasreddine, all surgical procedures required by those injured in the explosion will be fully covered — 100 percent — by the ministry," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that "Minister Dr. Rakan Nasreddine last year approved full reimbursement of the expenses for 2025, as submitted by the treating hospital, and will renew his approval this year upon receipt of the relevant expenses for 2026."
The statement also expressed surprise at "the dissemination of false and misleading information concerning an alleged failure by the ministry to ensure the continuity of care," stressing that "the procedure in place makes no distinction between patients, as demonstrated by concrete actions."
The double explosion at the Beirut port killed 235 people and injured more than 6,500, according to a final toll, while devastating several neighborhoods of the capital.
