The Minister Series - The exclusive interview and discussion with the Lebanese Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan
The Minister Series of The Phoenix Daily
Elissa Hassan, Contributor and Sarah El-Abd, Editor-in-Chief
After the resignation of the Hariri cabinet in late October of last year, political deadlock tormented the country as the Lebanese waited until January 21st of 2020 for a new parliamentary cabinet to be formed. The 2020 cabinet was headed by current-caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and was appointed by President Michel Aoun. Although this new cabinet was agreed upon between the heads of the national sectarian political parties, the cabinet was unique in that it consisted of relatively incumbent individuals with little to no official and exclusive political affiliation. This was simultaneously a refreshing and a puzzling government formation. The reason being that the lack of clear political sectarian lines proved useful for the cabinet, yet it also created a barrier for connecting with the local citizens and gaining the necessary trust and confidence.
The Minister Series of The Phoenix Daily is an exclusive series of interviews and discussions with Ministers of State in the attempt to bring transparency, accountability, yet also knowledge from the Ministry directly to the eyes of the general public.
On the 9th of November, The Phoenix Daily met exclusively with His Excellency the Minister of Public Health, Hamad Hassan, for an interview in the main ministerial office. The interview encompasses discussions exclusive to The Phoenix Daily on the Lebanese lockdown, the strategic vision and mission Dr. Hassan had for the Ministry in a pre-Covid19 and post-Covid19 world, the fight against institutionalized corruption, the peaceful transition of power to the prospectively upcoming new Minister of Public Health, and further on the August 4th tragedy, the pharmacy impasse, and ministerial diplomatic relations.
November 9th, 2020 - Ministry of Public Health in Jnah, Beirut, Lebanon
Before holding public office, Hamad Hassan received his graduate degree in a Masters in pharmacy, a diploma of laboratory medicine, followed by a PhD in molecular biology with special diagnostics (in which the primary method is the PCR method). He later pursued a head leadership position in his hometown in Beqaa, where he served as the Lab Director of a hospital. It was under his leadership that the first PCR lab in the Beqaa was inaugurated. After 10 years of work as Lab Director, the now caretaker Minister entered into the scene of public administration and became the Union President in Baalbak. Thereafter, he served as the mayor of the municipality of Baalbak. Yet, even during his posts in public administration he still stayed within the health field, “from 2003 till 2020 I was holding posts as a medical lab doctor, as well as an instructor and professor for the Lebanese University and the Lebanese International University doing research and academic activities” notes the Minister.
On taking office as the Minister of Public Health in an arguably transitional phase for the country – the Minister’s initial primary goals when initially appointed for office
In a country swarmed with institutionalized corruption, The Phoenix Daily was astonished to hear that the primary strategic goal of the Minister, out of a total of three, was the fight against corruption within the state; from within the Ministry of Public Health. Although the most efficient way to fight corruption is to remove it from institutions, the Minister noted that “in this particular economic situation, employers and the state are not able to dismiss employees”. Yet, the corruption and bad governance within the Ministry had become so institutionalized that it was as if there was “a ministry within a ministry” argued the Minister. He noted that the levels of governance and coordination within the ministry had been at such a low that there was no comprehensive and united Ministry, rather two separate ministries with different goals and agendas it would seem. Placed in a situation where dismissal of employees was not an option on the table, the Minister launched an oversight task force with the aim of observing and evaluation the work and progress of private hospitals. According to him, the Ministry of Health’s efforts of oversight has decreased hospital bills by 80 billion LBP within a span of eight months. Although the hospitals have saved 80 billion LBP, the citizens were not financially harmed by or responsible for this.
Rather it was an effect of the task forces’ efforts in overseeing the hospital files, as the auditing was making it more difficult to commit the otherwise institutionalized corruption, as well as evaluating the necessity for certain medical procedures that private hospitals were performing. The task forces’ efforts essentially resulted in the total bill of patients reducing and as such both the patient was saving and the hospitals were saving. However, with the fluctuating exchange rates and the inflation, the citizens were unable to see this change and effort tangibly – and it has gone unseen. Nevertheless, had this not been done the hospital bills of citizens would have been much higher currently, noted the Minister.
Additional to the oversight task forces, an oversight committee was established to oversee all projects currently being executed by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with international donors and partners such as the UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, UNHCR, ICRC, and others. Protocol projects have been in the works with these organizations before, however there had been no control over them previously, and once again it was as if “there was a Ministry within a Ministry” said Dr. Hassan.
Secondly, upon taking office on January 21st before Covid-19 had been confirmed in Lebanon, the Minister’s second goal was to develop a health care system for all for all 33 public hospitals and 133 private hospitals. Yet, during these times, the national economy started to deteriorate and the private hospitals, as we are seeing currently, were not able to fulfill their capabilities due to the frozen money in the banks. However, Dr. Hassan confirmed to The Phoenix Daily that the Ministry had successfully received a loan to tackle this issue and has thereafter put up a strategic plan for public hospitals as well. The loan consisted of 30 million USD from the Islamic Bank and another 20 million USD World Bank. He also worked on developing the health sector and adopting decentralization through different governorates “one should not get sick living in Tripoli, Jnoub, or Baalbek and be forced to go down to Beirut” he stated.
His third and final strategic point for the Ministry was the rationalization of hospitalization in the private hospitals, since they were consuming 80% of 475 billion LBP capacity of hospitalization value.
On the science behind lockdowns for Lebanon
“The main element of why we would enforce a lockdown is when there was a lack of beds in our hospitals, not normal beds but ICU beds” Dr. Hassan stated.
When Lebanon came to a state of Partial Lockdown it did not result in any positive impact, contrastingly its outcome was an evident increase in the number of Coronavirus cases that were able to be traced to areas that were in lockdown, confirms the Minister. “People should understand that the lockdown is for their own safety and well-being and they need to abide by the rules being set forth” he continued.
Despite having capacity at the hospitals, when doctors and staff start getting contaminated by the virus, this becomes a critical issue especially for the ICU unit.
“We are dealing with a dangerous virus and people need to deal with it responsibly, we cannot put guards under each building and an army - the lockdown is for and not against the people. Furthermore, they need to have the will to do so” asserted Dr. Hassan.
On the process of transition of power to the prospectively upcoming Minister of Public Health
“I was the Mayor of Baalbak for three years and the work was outstanding”, in fact the Minister went on to note that “Hamad Hassan’s work had become the golden standard”. He seemingly hopes that this will be the case for the future Minister of Public Health and that he/she will continue along the “same strategies and the same spirit, yet if he sees that there were failures left after me, he should work on these shortcomings” reiterated Dr. Hassan.
On the use of international diplomatic ties and relationships in the strategic fight against COVID19
“The success of any public administrator is being close to the people, taking into consideration all that is occurring on the group, and recognizing the risks and evaluating them” are important steps in knowing how to talk to the citizens and addressing their needs, notes the Minister. According to him, the aforementioned aspects were all done well before the August 4th Explosion that shook the country, as he had previously talked with people and moved from one region to another and to the hospitals to see everything. He further noted that he at the time “was with the re-opening of the country” as the Ministry adopted a Lebanese strategy that “stipulated the humility of the capabilities” of Lebanon but also recognized “the possibility and the danger of slipping after the disastrous situation that occurred in our country” he continued.
“The evidence is that when the first case was recorded on February 21st, we did not fall into a second wave” noted the Minister, “we have very strong partnerships with the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, and the EU” he continued. It has evidently been because of the technical and scientific support of these organizations, mainly the WHO noted the Minister, that the Ministry of Public Health has been able to fight COVID19 despite its modest capabilities and resources.
The current caretaker Minister leaves The Phoenix Daily and the Lebanese people with this “The people, the citizens, in these times are in need of ministers and officials arriving that feel with the people…”