As
COVID-19 continues to spread out in the Lebanese region, the bad economic
situation follows the last to make the situation goes worse. The country keeps
on pandemic with the hope reaching the save point.
Under
these bad circumstances, some good things dominate the area where Lebanon takes
step closer to obtaining COVID-19 vaccine maybe the status will go forward if
many people get healed and return back to their normal life.
Likewise,
many countries that started having the vaccine and others that are registered
to offer it to their citizens, the Lebanese ministry of health announced that
the first batch of COVID-19 will arrive by mid-February 2021.
In the
past few months, the number of Corona patients was increased horribly to reach
the peak after the New Year’s Eve where pubs, casinos and restaurants were
totally opened thus the infection circulated through many fields and different
ages.
Therefore,
the absence of conscious led to serious troubles that the Lebanese people paid
the price: the hospitals were full of patients, the Oxygen was deprived and
there was no more place to recover.
It was
not enough, the closure of departments in the country drove persons to pay more
attention because the critical number made them more afraid especially after
losing many lives.
The
Lebanese should take a significant action and so they will success twice one
they take care of themselves and they will keep on the economic and social
fields that they need to stay alive.
A Step
Toward the Vaccine
Hamad
Hassan, the caretaker health minister announced the upcoming of the vaccine by
the 15th of February and he put a plan that will carry out all the
necessary steps.
First of all, the communication will be directly with the hospitals and health cares that concern on Corona recovery system where people will be injected there.
Then,
the vaccine will be distributed to vulnerable groups starting front-line health
workers, other essential workers, elderly people over age 75 followed by those
over age 65 and so on, later, those with underlying health conditions as well
as refugees, migrant and undocumented workers.
Aya
Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch said:” it is critical for
leaders to clearly communicate the government’s vaccination strategy, ensure
that vaccine access is not determined by political connections or
socio-economic status, and apply transparent, evidence-based distribution
criteria equally to everyone in Lebanon.”
Therefore,
the real test will be translating into action hoping that the end of this
suffer will see the light.
In
addition, Hassan announced the outlines of the government’s strategy saying
that everyone is Lebanon will take the vaccine regardless of the nationality
that means the refugees too will be on the list of injections.
Knowing
that Lebanon although its small area, add to its population, it has an
estimated 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers and 400,000 migrant workers.
As main
goal of the plan, the vaccine will be delivered to 80% of the population by the
end of 2021. However, the goal is enhanced to state the intention to purchase
6.3 million doses at least for the under half of the country’s population.
The
Presented Problem
Dr.
Georges Ghanem, the chief medical officer of the LAU Medical Center-Risk
Hospital, one of Lebanon’s largest private hospitals and one of the 42
vaccination centers said that” we do not have a clear operational roadmap for
the vaccination campaign. We have plan of principles but not operational on the
ground-plan.”
In the
other meaning, Ghanem claimed that they do not know what software vaccination
centers will use to register and there is absence of appointments’ schedule and
no trained staff to use the system.
Furthermore,
Dr. Hassan Wazni, director-general of the Nabatieh Governmental Hospital in
South Lebanon and also one of the most important vaccination centers said that
“we have so far not received and implementation plan”
And he
added that the Health Ministry had not provided lists of people prioritized for
vaccination, which vaccine will be first received, the number of vaccines the
hospital will receive, the number of expected recipients and whether the
vaccine will be stored in Beirut or at the hospital.
The
serious conclusion that takes place here is, the Lebanese Government sets a
plan to bring vaccine and to whom will be delivered but they do not actually
put a written and an operational plan to start up.
After
managing the Public Lebanese Hospitals in Lebanon, the directors have the same
claim:” we are currently filling forms and questionnaires with information
about our capacities” and they do not receive any further information beyond
the fact that they are a vaccination center.
People
Between Accepting and Refusing
The most
common problem that is facing the citizens is the absence of nation-wide
awareness campaigns where people are completely lost between taking the
vaccination and not.
Dr.
Firas Abiad, the head of Rafik Hariri Hospital, Lebanon’s biggest public
hospital and the most important vaccination centers that started taking
patients from the beginning had the opinion of people:
“Whether
people will accept the vaccine is a major concern and if people refuse, you are
still looking at a group of people where the virus can still spread and run the
risk of mutation. So, my question is, with the vaccine arriving within three
weeks, where are the awareness campaign?”
Finally,
The Lebanese authorities should take immediate steps to build public confidence
in vaccines by ensuring many necessary things: gather information about
clinical trial data and possible side effects, counter misinformation, and
underscore the public health importance of including everyone.
Human
rights obligations related to health, life and adequate standards of living
should be transparent and made on the basis of medical and public health
criteria.
Plan of
the upcoming vaccination should be taking into action directly before the
middle of February in order to be fully prepared in addition to preparing the
staff and the centers very well to receive the large amounts of vaccines.
Written by - Rayan Issa
Edited by - Adrija Saha
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