For the reason that escalation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon on 17 September 2024, WHO has verified 23 assaults on well being care in Lebanon which have led to 72 deaths and 43 accidents amongst well being staff and sufferers. Fifteen incidents impacted well being amenities, whereas 13 impacted well being transport. Hospitals in Lebanon are already below huge pressure as they attempt to maintain important well being companies whereas coping with an unprecedented inflow of injured individuals. Understaffed and under-resourced, the well being system has been struggling to take care of uninterrupted companies to all these in want with provides being depleted and well being staff exhausted.
Growing battle, intense bombardment and insecurity are forcing a rising variety of well being amenities to close down, notably within the south. Out of 207 main well being care centres and dispensaries in conflict-affected areas, 100 at the moment are closed. Hospitals have needed to shut or evacuate on account of structural harm or their proximity to areas of intense bombardment. As of at this time, 5 hospitals have been evacuated and one other 5 partially evacuated, with vital most cancers and dialysis sufferers referred to different hospitals additionally overwhelmed by growing well being wants. Dialysis centres are having to function an additional three shifts to accommodate the referred sufferers whereas being under-resourced for important blood testing provides and personnel.
“The scenario in Lebanon is alarming. Assaults on well being care debilitate well being methods and impede their potential to proceed to carry out. In addition they forestall whole communities from accessing well being companies after they want them probably the most,” mentioned Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Japanese Mediterranean. “WHO is working tirelessly with the Ministry of Public Well being in Lebanon to handle vital gaps and help the continuity of important well being companies, however what individuals of Lebanon want most is a right away ceasefire.”
In response to rising wants, WHO is supporting with supply of important provides. On 4 and 5 October, 4 flights containing medical provides for trauma care, cholera prevention and psychological well being remedy arrived from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai to Beirut. The provides, presently being distributed to precedence hospitals in coordination with the Ministry of Public Well being, are sufficient to deal with round 100 000 sufferers. WHO is working to usher in further provides.
WHO continues to coordinate with the Lebanese Purple Cross and hospitals to equip blood banks with enough provides, together with testing provides to help protected blood donation. Surgical trauma capacities, together with life-limb saving expertise are additionally being strengthened by battle trauma surgical procedure trainings for surgeons of varied disciplines. WHO can also be working with Ministry of Public Well being of Lebanon to ascertain trauma facilities inside the present referral hospitals and to plan for the deployment of Emergency Medical Groups.
WHO help is ongoing to the ministry’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit to develop community-based surveillance on precedence ailments in shelters internet hosting displaced individuals, particularly for acute watery diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and different communicable ailments. WHO can also be working to make sure that shelters are linked with main well being centres to help continuation of well being companies and dishing out important drugs.
WHO requires assaults on well being care to cease. Well being care must be protected always. Peace is the one resolution.
