More and more patients are arriving in public hospitals, denounces the director of the Rafic Harir university hospital, dr. Firas Abiad, leading to a saturation of hospital services. In question, the increasingly important sums required by the private hospitals, also confronted with the economic crisis.
Thus, the sector is no longer affected only by the coronavirus, but also by the economic crisis itself.
In the past, patients could receive treatment in private hospitals as long as they paid additional sums.
Recently, these additional demands have sharply increased, pushing increasingly poor patients into public hospitals.
Two crises will result. Public hospitals do not receive a budget from the Ministry of Health, but charge for services and receive payment, usually after a one-year delay. However, salaries and suppliers must be paid monthly. The increase in activity can precipitate a liquidity crisis.
The other crisis is in private hospitals, which face a shrinking pool of patients who can afford them. Meanwhile, their expenses also increase and their staff leave for better opportunities elsewhere. Medical tourism can help, but needs better circumstances.
Resilience has become a heavy burden. As more and more people leave, the weight of those who remain just gets heavier.
