$300 million in
hospitalization fees

Public and private

hospitals to benefit

A Cabinet decree issued last week allocated around $300 million per year to cover hospitalization fees of patients to be treated at the expense of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

The amount is an increase of around eight percent compared to 2014.

Around $86 million will be allocated to 34 public hospitals, and $182 million to 127 private hospitals, private long-stay medical elderly homes, and specialized treatment centers.

The services that will be provided are based on contracts signed between the MoH and each hospital. The amounts are based on the budget draft law for 2016.

Some $34 million will be provided to hospitals specialized in chronic diseases, mental and physical disabilities, pulmonary diseases, intensive care, psychiatric illness, and radiology, among others.

The hospitals chosen are distributed regionally. This is so when available, there are at least three in each Caza.

The largest budget allocation for a public hospital, worth $17.3 million, went to the Beirut Rafic Hariri Hospital.

Among the designated private hospitals, the top ten benefiting from this deal are Ghassan Hamoud Hospital in Saida, which will receive $6.4 million, Ain Wzein Hospital in Shouf, $6.2 million, Al Rassoul Al Aaazam Hospital in Beirut's southern suburbs, $6.1 million, the American University of Beirut Medical Center, $5 million, the North Medical Cent in Zghorta, $4.2 million, Hôpital Notre Dame de Secours in Byblos, $4.7 million, Zahra Hospital, $4.1 million, Hôpital de Bienfaisance Islamique in Tripoli, $4 million, Makassed General Hospital Beirut, $4 million, and Dar Al Amal University Hospital in Baalbeck, $3.8 million.