$280 million to cover hospitalization in 2014

Over 75 percent allocated
to private hospitals

A Cabinet decree issued on Thursday (January 30) allocated around $280 million to cover hospitalization fees of patients to be treated at the expense of the Ministry of Public Health in 2014. Around $68 million will be allocated to 33 public hospitals and $212 million will be distributed to more than 121 private hospitals, as well as private long-stay medical elderly homes and specialized treatment centers. These are the same figures as last year.

The funds will be distributed according to contracts signed with the designated hospitals upon a decision issued by the Ministry. The decree stipulated that the chosen hospitals have to be distributed fairly among the regions so that there are at least three in each caza, if available.

The number of public hospital beds does not exceed 15 percent of the total hospital beds. Sleimen Haroun, President of the Syndicate of Hospitals, said there are 9,000 beds in private hospitals, compared to 1,200 beds in public ones. “Most public hospitals are not equipped to admit sophisticated medical cases, except for the Rafic Hariri Hospital,” said Haroun.

Among the designated private hospitals, the top ten benefiting hospitals are Ain Wzein Hospital (Chouf) that received around $5 million, Al Rassoul Al Aaazam Hospital, southern suburb ($4.3 million), the North Medical Center, Zghorta ($4 million), Hôpital de Bienfaisance Islamique, Tripoli ($4 million), Hôpital Notre Dame des Secours, Byblos ($4 million), the Dar Al Amal University Hospital, Baalbeck ($3.6 million), the Zahra Hospital, Southern suburb ($3.6 million), the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) received $3.3 million, the Makassed General Hospital, Beirut ($3.1 million), and the El Youssef Medical Center, Akkar ($3 million).
The biggest allocation budget for a public hospital, worth $17.3 million, went to Rafic Hariri Hospital.