Free healthcare for 18,800 poor families

Ministerial committee studies
coverage plan for all citizens

The Social Affairs and Health Ministers signed an agreement to offer free health services to 18,800 families facing extreme poverty.

Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil said both ministries would promote transparency and follow-up in implementing the healthcare program with the best standards. ID cards will be issued to families entitled to the program’s benefits to guarantee proper control and treatment in all public and private hospitals.

Hassan Khalil said this program complemented the plan put forth by the Ministry of Health to offer medical coverage to all citizens. He said the plan was currently under study by a social welfare committee appointed by the Cabinet.

Applications by 65,000 families were received in the first phase of the program. Around 18,800 of these families were deemed to fit the program’s requirements. The Ministry of Social Affairs invited families whose applications had been previously rejected to apply again.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the program took months of preparation and was an important step forward in helping individuals with financial difficulties. “There won't be political and economic stability without social stability,” Mikati said.

This program is part of the government’s welfare plan launched in 2012 to assist families living below the poverty line. The program is run in collaboration with the World Bank and the Italian and Canadian governments.