Private hospitals have begun turning away government-insured patients, complaining of the government’s failure to meet a promise to settle mounting debts, leaving them unable to meet patients’ needs.
Government employees will be required to pay their own hospital bills until the Finance Ministry settles its bills, as their social security is no longer valid at any of the country’s 180 private hospitals.
“This cannot be dubbed a decision; it is a sad state of affairs,” said Fawzi Adaimi, the President of the Association of Private Hospitals.
Adaimi told The Daily Star Wednesday that private hospitals were forced to take the step as they were “bankrupt” and unable to meet their own bills.
“If you don’t have any more gasoline you can’t run your car, even if you want to,” he said, saying private hospitals were short of liquidity and unable to buy medicine and equipment to meet their patients’ needs.
The decision came after an emergency meeting of the association council Tuesday, which sought to end the delay in payment of large sums owed to private hospitals by government social security bodies.
In May, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri had tried to end the stalemate by ordering the Finance Ministry to pay all debts incurred until the end of 2001.
But Adaimi said only 15 percent of the LL245 billion owed had been settled ­ with over 75 percent of that settled in the form of “invalid” Treasury bills.
“While most banks won’t liquidate the bonds at their net value, those who will are setting down impossible (conditions) to do so,” Adaimi added. “We want people to get the best health care available, but the matter is out of our hands.”
The move will affect about 200,000 government employees and their families.
Despite the existence of public hospitals, many lack basic healthcare services, which can only be found in private hospitals and medical centers.
Some exceptions were made, as healthcare providers were compelled to admit those in need of urgent care.
Doctor George Hayek, the owner of Hayek Hospital in Sil al-Fil, said he rejected four patients Wednesday, but was forced to assist two others.
“If a patient is in need of urgent care, we simply cannot kick him out,” Hayek said, adding that his hospital has been filtering urgent patients for about two months.
“Patients have been understanding,” he said. “Whenever we couldn’t take a patient, we’ve explained why and they seem to understand … We’re running out of medicine, and frankly, we don’t even have money to pay our employees’ salaries.”

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