Improving access to quality healthcare for people in the least-developed countries

— Lebanon —

BACKGROUND

Context:

The Fondation Pierre Fabre has been operating in Lebanon since 2002 by supporting the activities of the Khaldieh Medical-Social Centre, which is run by the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (ALCM). Since 2016, the Foundation has also helped establish a Mobile Medical Unit in West Beqaa to address the health needs of Syrian refugees and poor Lebanese.

Having been alerted to the country’s deteriorating health situation by its longstanding partner, the Foundation, with the ALCM, co-developed a three-year programme (2020-2022) to meet the growing needs for quality health care, supported by awareness-raising and screening campaigns to facilitate the early patient treatment.

With nine primary health centres, six mobile clinics, two centres specialising in caring for the severely disabled, three centres for the elderly, 340 employees, 150 volunteers and 930 volunteers (of all faiths) working in the field, the ALCM is an important entity in Lebanon’s current health care system.

The entire primary health care system managed by the ALCM is in the process of being certified by the Ministry of Public Health to become part of the universal primary health care system. The care it provides is chiefly aimed at the most vulnerable Lebanese populations and refugees.

Project description:

This network of health centres and Mobile Medical Units spread across the country provides a wide range of treatment: general medicine, cardiology, gynaecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pulmonology, ENT, dermatology, gastroenterology, urology, endocrinology, and neurology as well as vaccination, minor surgery and treatment, physiotherapy, audiometry, radiology, ultrasound and Doppler, dentistry and laboratory services. To offer the greatest number of quality services, treatment is optimised and the network carefully managed.

This programme’s main initiatives include:

Continuing and expanding the work of the Mobile Medical Unit positioned in the Western Beqaa region
Improving the quality of the treatment options across the network of centres of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta through recruiting medical and paramedical personnel, training, and centre specialisation to better respond to the needs of certain regions
Rolling out screening campaigns to facilitate early treatment
Strengthening drug management and quality control of medicines distributed through the network (purchasing a mini-lab for control, pharmacist recruitment, etc.)
Epidemiological monitoring in association with Beirut’s Saint Joseph University
Improving network management (staff training, technical support, etc.).

Through this project, the Fondation Pierre Fabre is establishing a global partnership with the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta and supporting implementation of the structural reforms essential to consolidating the network of treatment centres and their associated Mobile Medical Units.

KEY FACTS
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Priority
Access to quality health care

Programme
2020-2022

Type of involvement
Distributor and operator

Actions

Providing quality health care
Prevention and early treatment
Health care staff training
Epidemiological surveillance

The Order of Malta’s network of health centres in Lebanon:

UPDATE FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION IN THE PORT OF BEIRUT ON 4 AUGUST 2020

Our local partner, the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta, has been mobilised since 4 August 2020, in coordination with the other actors involved.

In response to emergencies :

The primary health centre of Ain el Remmaneh-Beirut was opened in the evening and night of 4 August to receive the injured;
4 mobile clinics, including the one financed by the Fondation Pierre Fabre, were mobilised near the Quarantine Hospital and in the Bourj Hammoud district;
The Chabrouh centre was opened to take in people who had lost their homes;
The Order of Malta’s young volunteers took part in cleaning houses, shops and streets;
Assistance to families was provided through home visits, distribution of hygiene and care kits;
A psychological distress care system was set up in the centre of Ain el Remmaneh.

In post-emergency :

The Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta supports the rehabilitation of 4 primary health centres in Beirut and provides each of these centres with a set of equipment according to a list drawn up by the Ministry of Public Health;
The listed houses will be rehabilitated through the voluntary work of the Order of Malta.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE INITIATVES

Achievements

60,000
Syrian and Iraqi refugee patients treated

35,000
poor Lebanese patients treated

90,000
people reached with awareness-raising campaigns

555
medical, paramedical and administrative staff trained

PARTNERS

Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (ALCM)

The Order of Malta Lebanon is an apolitical humanitarian organization whose sole agenda is to uphold the dignity of every human being. In a country that has been unstable for over 40 years, hosting 17 different religious denominations, the Order of Malta has won the trust and respect of governments, citizens, and all religious communities thanks to the quality of its actions with and for everyone.

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