Sana'a - Saba:
Lebanon Hospital for Cardiac Surgery and Diseases in Sana'a held a ceremony on Monday to launch its permanent monthly charity program and reduce medical service prices.
The program includes one free open-heart surgery per month, a 75% discount on three surgeries, a 50% discount on five surgeries, and a 25% discount on ten surgeries (excluding valve costs).
During the ceremony, Minister of Health and Environment Dr. Ali Shayban praised the efforts of Lebanon Hospital’s leadership in implementing this humanitarian initiative. He emphasized the importance of competition among hospitals to provide quality services at reduced prices, alleviating patient suffering, especially under current circumstances.
Dr. Shayban addressed the unethical practices observed in some hospitals and among doctors, stressing that medicine is not a business but a humanitarian service. He commended Lebanon Hospital for correcting professional flaws, particularly regarding pricing, by offering medical service discounts. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing these issues and eliminating arbitrary pricing in hospitals.
He expressed hope for collective efforts to improve patient care with quality and affordability, noting that cooperation between stakeholders and hospitals reflects a commitment to healthcare for the needy—a model of social solidarity that should be strengthened across sectors.
In turn, Sana'a Mayor Dr. Hamoud Abbad valued Lebanon Hospital’s initiative, describing it as a life-saving step that other hospitals should emulate. He highlighted the financial burden of stents on poor patients, urging shared responsibility , collaboration with the private sector and philanthropists to provide urgent support.
Dr. Abbad affirmed the municipality’s readiness to support the hospital’s charity project to ease the suffering of vulnerable patients.
Zakat Authority Chairman Shamsan Abu Nashtan also commended the hospital’s humanitarian initiative, stressing the need for hospitals to compete in saving lives. He reviewed the partnership between the Zakat Authority and the Health Ministry in health projects, including the "Life Stent" initiative at the Military Hospital’s Cardiac Center, which has served thousands.
This year, 1,400 open-heart surgeries were performed—50% at the Military Hospital and the rest in private hospitals—along with 2,000 stent procedures. Abu Nashtan also noted progress in completing the Prophet’s Kidney Transplant Hospital, calling for unified efforts to deliver quality medical care.
During the event, attended by Health Office Director Dr. Mutahar Al-Marouni, Lebanon Hospital Director Dr. Issam Al-Azir explained that the self-funded monthly program includes:
- One free open-heart surgery
- Three surgeries at a 75% discount
- Five surgeries at a 50% discount
- Ten surgeries at a 25% discount
Dr. Al-Azir emphasized the hospital’s commitment to quality materials, including valves and stents. Patients will be selected transparently via a monthly public lottery on the 27th of each month, with names drawn from designated boxes.
Additionally, the hospital abolished referral commissions and arbitrary pricing to pass benefits directly to patients through reduced costs.
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