Beirut public hospital status reviewed

Cabinet due to discuss rescuing Hariri University Hospital

The Minister of Public Health Ali Hassan Khalil said that the Cabinet will address the issue of Beirut’s public hospital, Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH).

The minister said that the MoPH had submitted a report on the hospital including recommendations for the future.
He said that the cumulative deficit of the hospital has reached LL62 billion ($41.5 million) and that the hospital has received LL65 billion ($43.5 million) in credits from the ministry.

Khalil said that 80 percent of patients whose treatment expenses are covered by the ministry are treated at the RHUH. The number of beds at the hospital is 400.
The report, according to Khalil, recommends a reformation of the hospital's administrative structure. He said that the report exposed an uneven distribution of the workforce at the hospital. He said that while some departments are overloaded with employees, other departments suffer a lack in human resources.

The report also indicates that the equipment and medical devices are in need of enhancement.
Khalil said that the ministry will allocate around LL1.5 billion as a contribution for the development of the RHUH.