BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour announced Wednesday the resignation of Rafik Hariri University Hospital’s chairman in response to a strike by employees, saying the event would allow for the implementation of a plan to "rescue" the public hospital.
The hospital staff proclaimed the beginning of a strike Wednesday morning, saying they would not accept any new patients for treatment.
Abu Faour announced after meeting with a delegation of employees that he accepted the resignation of Faysal Shatila, the former chief of the hospital’s board.
“After Shatila’s resignation, we can say the rescue plan has begun,” he told reporters from his ministry.
Abu Faour had previously announced a plan of reforms in response to the hospital's financial deficit, which had caused a shortage in equipment and tools.
However, the hospital’s staff remained on strike despite Shatila's resignation, saying they would not go back to work unless officials promised to add the hospital's current crisis to the Cabinet’s agenda.
A spokesperson for the employees stressed that the hospital’s infrastructure was ruined and that employees could no longer bare the poor work conditions.
He called for the quick approval of the rescue plan by the Cabinet in order to task the Development and Construction Council with rehabilitating the hospital’s infrastructure.
Employees are also demanding to become full-time employees at the Health Ministry.
Separately, the Health Ministry also sent a warning Wednesday to Ehden’s Public Hospital for not appointing a full-time pharmacist at its Medicines Department.
The last pharmacist to manage the hospital’s pharmacy, Robert Frangieh, died one year ago and no one was appointed to replace him, the statement added.
The ministry gave the hospital 15 days to fix the problems to avoid penal measures.
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