We are in a race with the epidemic: the ambassador of the north

Acting government Health Minister Hamad Hassan confirmed that the ministry has been keeping up with the Corona issue from the start, noting that after the Beirut port explosion, things started to get relatively out of control.

“We are in a race with the epidemic, and the economic and financial conditions are weak,” the Health Minister said in an interview with Al-Manar TV.

He explained that there are 300 artificial respirators, but the number is greater than the number of intensive care beds, pointing out that health policies were previously temporary and did not take into account the preparation of the health sector to face crisis.

He said: Work is underway to increase the number of beds in government hospitals to receive more cases, and some private hospitals are blamed for not receiving all those infected with Corona.

Hassan stressed that “the law obliges the health institutions of any affiliated party to receive health emergencies”, highlighting that the Ministry of Health has the right to suspend contracts with health institutions that do not provide assistance in this difficult circumstance. .

He announced that he had been informed by the Qatari ambassador to Lebanon of the initial approval to completely rebuild the Karantina Hospital and establish a 1,000-bed field hospital. He said: Some partisan and political references are against turning some hospitals in some regions into a specialized hospital in Corona.

And he considered that “it would be better, logistically, to implement the general closure in the country, since this matter is fairer.”