Anesthetic supplies have become scarce due to the decline in the Central Bank of Lebanon’s hard currency reserves, which leads to the legalization of the import of medicines for incurable and chronic diseases, as well as narcotic medicines, which are still subject to the bank’s support after the lifting of subsidies on most other drugs.
The head of the Syndicate of Private Hospitals, Suleiman Haroun, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that “the local anesthetic medicines are witnessing a cut-off of nearly 90 percent, while a shortage of anesthetic stocks is recorded in most hospitals.”
Haroun added, “The solution is for the Central Bank of Lebanon to open credits in hard currency for merchants to import, or to raise subsidies so that merchants can import directly. It is not logical for the situation to remain as it is now.”
He said: “The agent delivers these drugs, adopting a harsh rationing process, so that we ask for example 20 boxes, and he does not deliver us more than two boxes.” Few, by postponing non-urgent operations.
Although the Lebanese Council of Ministers approved, in its last session, last Thursday, an amount of $13 million in special drawing rights, to import cancer drugs, anesthetics, infant formula, and incurable diseases, this is a “prosthetic” and temporary solution to the crisis, as revealed by the Syndicate of Pharmacists Joe Salloum, especially since local anesthetics Experiencing almost complete interruption.
Salloum told “Sky News Arabia” that this solution is “temporary”, and it is a “local anesthesia” of the crisis, knowing that securing new quantities and resolving the dilemma requires about two weeks.
He continued, “The stock has become low due to the lack of support and prior approvals, and the current situation is limited to urgent surgical operations in all Lebanese hospitals.”
Salloum added: “A permanent solution to this intractable problem requires a comprehensive and sustainable drug policy, based on achieving two things: the first is to raise support, and the second is a drug and hospital card that secures the continuity of treatment for the Lebanese people. This drug policy is not currently possible, and we stress the continuous work with all the responsible authorities to access to this.
However, the Pharmacists Syndicate said, “Changing the health reality begins with a political decision, which affects health and the economy.”
At the end of his speech, Salloum expected that “the situation will ease within two weeks after the cabinet’s decision to allocate $13 million to purchase medicines,” but he hopes to find radical and non-temporary solutions that will save the citizen and the hospital sector permanently and permanently.
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