Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani participated in the second meeting of the Committee of Finance and Budget headed by MP Ibrahim Kanaan. The meeting aimed at discussing the Universal Health Coverage draft law after this it was approved by the Parliament’s Health Committee and Administrative and Justice Committee.

Hasbani stressed that the discussion was fruitful. “We introduced a detailed overview of financial and actuarial studies on the health care sector in Lebanon, in the hope that this law will help unify the insurers and cover the uninsured citizens at the expense of the Ministry of Public Health,” stated Hasbani.

“When endorsed, this law will contribute to solving many issues, in particular the permanent issue of securing funding for the Ministry of Public health, since the budget is still below the global rates in the developed countries to which Lebanon is compared. We should find a solution to the chronic deficit for the demand on hospitalization and treatment and the cost of medicines are increasing, while the budgets remain the same”, Hasbani added.

“We have to find modern legal framework for a better and universal health coverage through the primary health care centers and hospitals based on an integrated system. We have to secure sustainable funding since the actuarial study gave us a vision up to 2050 of the growing demand on hospitalization and the increasing medical bills.”

“Taking part in these committee will help endorse this law in no time so that all the Lebanese could benefit from it and the different insurers cooperate better in the future.”