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The work that analyzes the effects of economic burdens on the health system concludes that a joint response plan should be developed between the Ministry of Public Health and representatives of various members of the health sector and representatives of other relevant ministries with the objective of “ support the health sector during the period of severe recession (…) ”.
In the opinion of the authors of the article, there are three economic factors, which add to the repercussions of the Coronavirus, the health sector is under its burden, which are: the decrease in the purchasing power of patients, measures to control capital and the devaluation of the Lebanese currency. The researchers start from this point to point out that the experiences of other countries have shown that cutting health spending as part of austerity measures has serious negative consequences for public health. They argue that austerity will have a much greater impact than the economic crises themselves.
While the document reviews a set of immediate reforms that can be adopted, it delves into the challenges currently faced by healthcare workers who are “under tremendous pressure as a result of the economic and financial crisis,” noting that the decline of Lebanese purchasing power and the decrease in hospitalization cases during the coronavirus outbreak contributed to a notable decrease in the income of doctors, “And as in other countries, the income of doctors has decreased by 50% due to the Crown epidemic, but in Lebanon and because this decrease was accompanied by the devaluation of the Lebanese pound, the total expected loss of purchasing power reaches more than 80% “. .
The decline in Lebanese purchasing power and the decline in hospitalization cases during the Corona outbreak contributed to a significant decline in doctors’ income.
As a result, “many doctors and nurses are thinking of leaving the country and getting better jobs elsewhere,” noting that Lebanon has a large number of doctors to cover its health care needs. For example, there are more than 22 doctors for every 10,000 people, which is the fifth highest in the Middle East region, while it suffers from a shortage of nursing staff (17 nurses and midwives for every 10,000 inhabitants, which places Lebanon in 12th place out of 22 countries in Region).
These events come at a time when the country’s need for health sector workers increases due to the worsening of the epidemiological reality of the Corona virus, which so far has infected 1,256 workers, with the Ministry of Public Health announcing, yesterday for the night, that 15 new infections were registered in their ranks, while yesterday the total of new daily infections arrived. , To 1,368 injured (1,308 residents and 60 expatriates), which would inevitably add to the pressure on the hospital situation and double its need.
The report of the Ministry of Health indicated yesterday that the number of injured living in hospitals amounted to 627 people, 201 of them in critical condition, while 8 people were announced dead, raising the death toll to 509 people.
