Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan confirmed that there was no financial impediments to hinder the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine early February.
“Pfizer vaccine will arrive in the first week of next February, and the ongoing negotiations with the company will not affect its arrival date,” Hasan affirmed in an interview with MTV Lebanon late Thursday.
“The agreement with the World Bank will guarantee a financial coverage to purchase the vaccine, in addition to the approved Ministry of Finance’s allocation for that matter,” he added, promising that the Pfizer vaccine will be given “free of charge” to citizens despite the country’s insurmountable financial problems.
Moreover, the minister stressed the importance of fair distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, deeming this procedure as important as the vaccine itself.
Hasan went on to make clear that the agreement with Pfizer was done directly through the Lebanese state, without the participation of a third party.
“Lebanon got the lowest price for the vaccine because it was one of the first countries to order it,” he stressed, according to National News Agency (NNA).
Regarding the renewed shortage of medicines nationwide, Hasan affirmed that the Ministry of Public Health would continue its inspection rounds to pharmaceutical warehouses, agents, and importers in a bid to protect subsidized medicines. He also ruled out any intention to rationalize medicine support as yet.
Hassan then stressed that his ministry would continue cooperating with private hospitals.
“In a lengthy meeting held with the World Bank, a quick mechanism has been agreed upon to pay Coronavirus bills for private and government hospitals — to be funded by the bank’s loan,” he added.
“The ministry has also requested medical equipment and a hundred additional intensive care beds that will be received in approximately ten days,” the outgoing minister said.
Source: NNA
