Hariri defuses crisis over state’s hospital
bill
Premier ‘gave strict orders’ to settle
accounts
Private hospitals are expected to re-admit government-insured patients starting Friday
after Prime Minister Rafik Hariri ordered the Finance Ministry to settle government debts
owed to healthcare providers.
Hariri instructed the ministry Thursday to pay all debts incurred until the end of 2001.
Funds will be paid in cash, with the rest to be settled in the form of treasury bills by
June 10.
The government will pay LL35 billion out of the LL240 billion owed to private hospitals,
Finance Minister Fouad Siniora said.
Siniora said the LL600 billion said to have been owed by the government was not an
accurate figure.
“We have audited the bills that were sent by hospitals and the correct figure does
not exceed LL240 billion,” he said.
He added that the ministry will now pay only LL35 billion because the remaining LL205
billion in bills are still being audited by the Health Ministry.
Fawzi Adaimi, the head of the Association of Hospital Owners, said that the National
Social Security Fund and private insurance companies owe around LL300 billion to some 144
private hospitals.
Adaimi said the decision to start accepting government-insured patients would be handled
by the association’s council, which is expected to meet soon, and predicted that the
outcome would be positive.
The settlement was reached during a meeting headed by the premier at the Grand Serail.
Siniora, Health Minister Suleiman Franjieh, Defense Minister Khalil Hrawi, a delegation
from the association, and representatives of government and military institutions attended
the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Adaimi said that the gathering was “fruitful and
positive,” praising both Hariri and Franjieh for their support.
He said that Hariri did not simply make a promise, but “gave strict orders” to
ensure that hospitals will start receiving their money as soon as Monday. Copyright © The Daily Star |
