Lebanon has been facing its worst financial, economic, and social crises, along with the Covid-19 pandemic and the remaining very palpable repercussions of the Beirut harbor blast nearly two years ago, all of which have hugely impacted the health sector. In addition to that, the fallout of the Ukrainian conflict, due to potential grain shortages and the economic impact of higher commodity prices, in particular fuel is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. More than 80% of the Lebanon population lives in poverty.

As the healthcare sector weakens, with more than 40% of doctors leaving the country, pharmacies facing medicine shortage and medical insurance not covering hospital fees, it is vital to emphasize the importance of primary health care centers, whose objective is to raise the health level of the most vulnerable population.

For the past 60 year, the Order of Malta Lebanon has been ensuring access to all primary health care services, for free or at symbolic fee, through its network of eleven Community Health Centers, spread throughout the country. In 2021 and amidst the crisis, the Order achieved one million socio-medical acts.

A year ago, the Order of Malta Lebanon undertook the mission of renovating one of its main centers, located near the capital Beirut, in Chiyah – Ain el Remmaneh, known as the St John the Baptist Community Health Center. This was done thanks to funds from the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the support of Malteser International. Built in 1989 and with 33 years of commitment to the community, the center is known for its excellence in services and respect for the dignity of all patients, regardless of their ethnic background color or religion.

While the renovation process took place in only one year, the provided services never stopped, whereby the center relocated to the nearby church. Prior to the crisis and renovation, the center composed of one floor, received around 80 patients a day. The renovated and expanded center, made up of 3 floors dedicated to primary healthcare, will be offering all medical specialties, including general medicine, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, etc. in addition to oncology, mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, and laboratory tests, free of charge or at a symbolic fee. It will be receiving up to 500 patients a day.

The center also includes a state-of-the-art central drugstore warehouse through which medicines are distributed to the Order’s various centers located across the country, as well as a training unit and social services offices.

The inauguration and Blessings

In an ambiance of national unity, the inauguration of the John the Baptist center gave rise to a ceremony which brought together representatives of the various Christian and Muslim religious communities in Lebanon, in addition to the Minister of Health, the Apostolic Nuncio and a delegation from Germany that included German MPs Carsten Körber and Paul Ziemiak, and former MP Rüdiger Kruze. The President of the German Association of the Order of Malta Dr. Erich Prinz von Lobkowicz and the Secretary General of Malteser International Clemens Graf von Mirbach-Harff attended the opening ceremony. A common prayer was recited by the Maronite Archbishop of Beirut, Msgr. Boulos Abdel Sater and the Druze sheikh Sami Abdel Khalek, then the blessing was conducted by the Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Josef Spiteri.

The conviviality of differences

“Serving Lebanon with the conviviality of differences, rather than using them, is the meaning of our action,” said Marwan Sehnaoui, president of the Lebanese Association of the Order of Malta, in his opening speech.

Taking the floor in his turn, Carsten Körber, member of the Bundestag’s Budget Committee, for whom this was the first real contact with the Lebanese reality, was moved to see how the German taxpayer’s money had been rigorously converted into humanitarian action, faithful to the intentions of the donors.

The Lebanese Minister of Public Health warmly thanked the Order of Malta for an achievement which he wishes to generalize and thanked the German government which made it possible.