Lebanese Healthcare System: How Will the Aftermath Look?

Abstract

The recent Lebanese port explosion came as a continuation of a series of socioeconomic disasters the country has been facing during the past year. In addition, the massive impact of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic further hastened the collapse of the Lebanese healthcare system. In light of all those events, the Lebanese healthcare sector has faced major blows that will be difficult to recuperate from. In the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion, Lebanon received immense financial and medical support from the international community in a timely fashion, which secured first level care to victims of the explosion. Nevertheless, this forced Lebanon, which was considered a prominent tertiary medical hub in the Middle East, to slowly regress into an exclusive primary care provider. As such, it is crucial for local and regional stakeholders to build strong collaborations, and shape a unified vision of Lebanon's future healthcare system.