$27 million to cover ISF healthcare expenses

Most of the funds are for private hospitals

The Cabinet allocated $27 million for public and private hospitals to cover hospitalization costs for members of the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The amount allocated to private hospitals is larger than that allocated to public hospitals.

The budget for Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH), one of the biggest hospitals in Beirut, is $400,000. The budget for Behmen Hospital, a much smaller private hospital, is $1.1 million.

Dr. Wassim Wazzan, general manager at RHUH said: “The hospital started operating in 2005, for this reason the budget allocated for it is still too small.” The hospital’s budget has been unchanged since 2005. Wazzan said the hospital is interested in admitting more ISF patients.

Sleiman Haroun, president of the Syndicate of Hospital Owners said ISF members receive health care through hospitals contracted by the Ministry of Interior. Hospitals that want to sign a contract should submit a request to the ministry.

According to Haroun the above-mentioned fees are based on the new hospitalization tariffs. Haroun said the ISF often delays payments to hospitals for a maximum of one year until a budget is approved. “Each (private) hospital works according to the budget proposed for it, once the funds run out it stops admitting ISF patients except if they have critical conditions,” he said.