France has pledged to donate 7 million euros ($8.32 million) to Lebanon's Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the institution's head Firass Abiad said in a tweet on Wednesday. The hospital has been at the center of the country's coronavirus response. France's President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut this week for the second time since the Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port, meeting with new Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib as well as legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz. The blast damaged half of the city's hospitals, and while the Rafik Hariri hospital was left undamaged, the hospital has played an integral role in treating COVID-19 patients and providing healthcare access to vulnerable populations in Lebanon, including refugees. Lebanon has recently seen a surge in coronavirus cases after the explosion, putting the hospital under additional stress. Lebanon is currently facing its worst economic crisis in decades, and at the end of 2019, hospitals were sounding warning calls that they were facing supply shortages as they could not pay for their imports. A shortage of dollars in the country, needed to pay for imports, has meant that many importers have not been able to secure enough dollars to pay for goods. The health care system in the country is also in disarray from years of mismanagement, with the government owing private facilities an estimated $1.3 billion in unpaid dues as of 2019 — used to pay staff and purchase medical supplies — since 2011. In March, doctors treating coronavirus at Rafik Hariri hospital said they would go on strike due to "the dangers, hardships, and harsh conditions under which hospital staff suffer, and the indifference that has become evident by management and stakeholders." "Five years ago, [Rafik Hariri hospital] was going from one crisis to another, becoming a symbol of failing governmental institutions. Now, after years of administrative rehabilitation, it stands at the forefront of healthcare delivery, at a time of great need, a pandemic," Abiad said on Twitter. The donation comes as Macron attempts to play an increased role in Lebanon following the blasts. On Tuesday, Macron announced he was willing to host an international conference in mid-October on how to help Lebanon, but he has also warned that the new government must make serious reforms. — Agencies
