Following the devastating blast that ripped through Beirut on August 4, Lebanon is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Four hospitals located in the vicinity of Beirut port were severely damaged by the blast. More than 6000 persons were wounded and taken in charge either in Beirut or in peripheral hospitals. On the day of the explosion, the Notre-Dame Maritime Hospital received more than 200 injured despite the fact that it is located 40 kilometers away from the blast site. 30 urgent surgeries were performed, and 10 patients were admitted in the intensive care units. The following day, the hospital received additional injured persons who were transferred from the four severely damaged hospitals which are likely to remain non-operational for the coming months. We are expecting a steady influx of patients from Beirut, which will undoubtedly represent a significant increase to our costs.

This tragedy compounds the difficulties of an already precarious healthcare infrastructure in Lebanon. With 135 hospitals and 12.650 beds, private hospitals make up for 80% of the Lebanese healthcare system. Prior to the explosion, several clinics were at risk of bankruptcy. Basic necessities, such as electricity, fuel, and food were already running low. Medical supplies, such as drugs and paramedical equipment, were already practically unaffordable for hospitals even before this new disaster.

The situation was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic that forced hospitals to adopt costly preventive measures that still lay a heavy burden on our budget, especially since the prices of protection and disinfection equipment have doubled since the onset of the crisis. In addition, our revenues have gone down with a 50% decrease in hospital occupancy rate as well as external consultations in the last five months. We fear that we will soon be unable to meet our duty of care towards patients.

Therefore, we humbly request your help and we thank you in advance for your generosity.