HRW urges Lebanon authorities not to neglect healthcare workers safety December 11, 2020 at 1:31 am | Published in: Coronavirus, Lebanon, Middle East, News
Medical personnel, treating patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a hospital in the Lebanese capital Beirut on 7 April 2020 [JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images] December 11, 2020 at 1:31 am
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged on Thursday the Lebanese government not to neglect the safety of health sector workers fighting on the frontlines against the coronavirus pandemic, as cases rise threatening to overwhelm the healthcare system.
The rights watchdog quoted Lebanese researcher Aya Majzoub in a statement: Healthcare workers are the backbone of the country as COVID-19 cases rage across Lebanon, but the government has shown a callous disregard for their health and safety. Majzoub added: If the government wants the health system to withstand this crisis, it should pay hospitals their dues and ensure that healt
Lebanon: Health Workers’ Safety Neglected during Covid-19
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Pay Hospital Dues; Protect Workers from Attacks
(Beirut) Lebanese authorities have shown a callous disregard for the protection of healthcare workers at the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch said today. The country has had an alarming surge of cases that is threatening to overwhelm the healthcare system.
Government institutions, including the Health Ministry, National Social Security Fund, and security agencies such as the military and Internal Security Forces, owe private and public hospitals large sums of money. Their failure to meet their financial obligations severely restricts hospitals ability to maintain sufficient staffing levels and protect staff from infection. The authorities have also failed to stop violent attacks against healthcare workers. The pandemic has had a significant mental and emotional toll on the workers.